Category : Wildlife | Location : National | Posted on 2022-08-05 03:32:07
Experts have welcomed the removal of a provision from the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, which made trading elephants possible. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday with another provision related to the formation of standing committees of the State Boards for Wildlife. This provision is likely to ease the process of wildlife clearances for infrastructure projects at the state level as the panel will mostly consist of official members, experts have said.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, specifically prohibits trade in wild animals including captive and wild elephants. Under sections 40 and 43 of the law, transfer, acquiring, and receiving of a captive elephant is permissible only with the prior approval of the chief wildlife warden. Such transfer, acquisition, and receiving of an elephant should not involve any commercial transaction.The amended bill has a new Subsection (4) to Section 43 that takes away the protection from trade in elephants.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in April asked the Centre to provide an explanation of provisions for the transport of captive elephants and its recommendations seem to have been accepted.
“The Bill of 2022 states that transfer and transport of captive elephants for religious and other purposes is permitted subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the central government. This is the situation that exists in the present law also, though the use of the word ‘religious’ seems to have been added due to the recommendation of the Standing Committee headed by Ramesh. The Bill of 2021 did not use the word ‘religious’. Notwithstanding this, the decision to not open up commercial trade in live elephants is a positive development. It is pertinent to point out that the Bill of 2021 specifically allowed commercial trade in ‘live elephants’ whereas the Bill passed in 2022 refers to transfer (non-commercial) and transport of ‘captive elephants,’” said Ritwick Dutta, an environmental lawyer.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/wildlife-protection-amendment-bill-eases-norms-at-state-level-101659613873592.html
