Hard to Believe: J&K State has yet to set up a State Board for Wildlife
Govt’s failure to set up board threatens wildlife
Imran Khan (Rising Kashmir)
Srinagar: The Government’s failure to set up State Board for Wildlife (SBW) in the Kashmir Valley is threatening the very existence of wild animals here.
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1978 which was amended in 2002 stated that Government should establish the board headed by the Chief Minister of the state within a period of six months. However, state government has failed to implement the amended act till date.
According to the amended act the board headed by Chief Minister, Minister of Forest and Wildlife as the Vice Chairperson two members from the Legislative Assembly and one from the Legislative Council to be nominated by the Government should have been formed within six months from the day the act was amended. “Chief Secretary to the Government followed by other officials from forest department, tourism, Police, Army should also be part of the board,” the act added.
Regional Wildlife Warden Kashmir, Farooq Geelani told Rising Kashmir on Saturday, “A preliminary board headed by Minister Incharge of Forest and Wildlife was established in 2006. However, the administrative department objected to it and decided to have the Chief Minister as the Chairperson. This process is still going on between the law and the administrative department. Due to this confusion no meetings have been held till date.”
Nadeem Qadri, an environmental activist said that the State board of Wildlife was supposed to act as a monitoring cell to check the activities with respect to wildlife issues, developmental issues and also to formulate the rights and regulations of the wildlife preservation act that even focused on illegal poaching of animals.
Qadri said that due to the “lackadaisical attitude” of the Government the existence of wild animals in the Valley can become a reason for their (wild animals) becoming extinct. “Government’s failure to set up the board has already started taking a toll on the wildlife of Kashmir and has also affected the protected regions due to increasing incidents of man-animal conflict,” he added.
Wildlife Warden Monitoring Cell at Chief Wardens Cell, Imtiyaz Lone said, “Till the board is not formed issues concerning the wildlife department cannot be discussed and Government will remain unaware about the facts. No meeting has been convened till date to discuss the matter.”
When contacted the Chief Secretary to the Government, B R Kundal expressed ignorance about formation of any such board. “I cannot say anything with respect to establishing of this board till I check my files.”