The Union Environment ministry of India has recently proposed an amendment. It is towards the Wildlife Protection Act (WPC),1972. The act is to protect elephant reserves and corridors on the lines of tiger reserves. It aimed to sought responses of various states to a proposed Comprehensive National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP).
About the act
India is the home of about 30,000 elephants that covers 60% of the Asian elephant population. Out of which, the state Karnataka has the largest no. of wild elephants. So, there have been many changes in the act for giving legal status. It would give legal status to elephant reserves and lines of tiger reserves. Therefore, the union environment ministry proposed statutory status to Project Elephant. It is for the protection of the species. Also, to have a similar legal framework for 30 elephant reserves across 15 states.
Moreover, it proposes 50 tiger reserves under the National tiger conservation authority. It is around six percent of the country’s total wildlife. It is also home to around one-third of the protected species.
Facts and figures on Elephants
Under the project Elephant, India’s first reserve was established in 2001. It was in Jharkhand. According to the recent data, around 400 elephants have been killed by poachers. This is because, in the last 5 years, 2300 people were killed by elephants. This count is 10 times higher than the no. killed by tigers. Lok Sabha shared the following data. Hence, the govt. asked state forest departments to go on with management plans as decided.
In addition, to train forest staff to protect elephants. The death toll was 329 and 447 in the states of Chhattisgarh and Orrisa.
Actions on elephant reserves
NTCA is the regulatory body for around 50 tiger reserves. Decided zones for the reserves are: North-west includes Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. South includes Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. East includes West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) prohibits industrial and mining activities around tiger reserves. Once the National Board of Wildlife approves, boundaries of tiger reserves can be changed.
In the context of these actions, Govt. planned it to reduce further human-animal conflicts. It is to prepare a national elephant action plan. These plans would prove to be beneficial to decrease further circumstances.
Author: AASHI BANSAL
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References: https://www.hindustantimes.com/
