Wildlife division to study global norms for relocating villagers from tiger reserves, protected areas

The Environment Ministry has directed its wildlife division to undertake a study on global best practices for relocating communities from protected areas and tiger reserves, with the aim of reducing man-animal conflict.

At a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), Additional Director General of Forests Ramesh Kumar Pandey acknowledged that relocation efforts in tiger reserves and the country’s 680 protected areas remain incomplete.

In order to create a safe habitat for tigers, the Centre allows villagers to move out of the core zone of tiger reserves. However, this is voluntary. Under the rehabilitation scheme the government provides a monetary package of Rs 15 lakh per family, with each adult counted as a family unit. The rehabilitation scheme comprises agricultural land and house construction, incentives for relocation, and the provision of basic sanitation.

“After due discussions with the members and chief wildlife wardens’, the Committee decided that a study on the global best practices (from out of the country) on the relocation of communities from protected areas and works done, policy and programmes in place should be provided by the division and member concerned,” the minutes of the meeting of the SC-NBWL said

Member of the SC-NBWL Dr HS Singh proposed that the scheme of voluntary relocation of villagers from protected areas should be extended to communities living around bio-diversity rich areas, wildlife corridors and buffer zones of the forests as well.

However, Pandey stressed that it would be a premature step.

“The Member Secretary (Ramesh Kumar Pandey) stressed that the relocation has not been completed in tiger reserves and 680 protected areas and extending this policy to the corridors would be too premature a step and would be against the philosophy of coexistence. The focus rather should be on management practices for reducing human wildlife conflict,” the minutes stated. As many as Rs 90,000 crore is needed for the voluntary relocation scheme under which over 60,000 families have to move out of tiger reserves. The budget for Project Tiger and Project Elephant for 2025-26 is only Rs 290 crore.