VPE 511: Environment and Environmental Hygiene (2+1)

WILD LIFE PROTECTION ACT-1972 (AMENDED IN 1991)

• This Act has been a landmark in the history of protection of wildlife which was transferred from state to concurrent list in 1976.
• After enactment of Wildlife Protection Act (1972). Indian Board of Wildlife (1952) took up the task of setting up wildlife national parks and sanctuaries.

Major activities and objectives

• Restriction and prohibition of hunting and trapping wildlife.
• Protection of rare plant species.
• Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) to preserve endangered, rare and threatened species.
• Setting up of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to preserve biodiversity.
• Empowering zoo authority with control of zoo and captive breeding of the endangered species.
• Controlling the trade of some wildlife species, wildlife products and trophies.
• Setting guidelines for issuing license for arms near wildlife sanctuaries.
• Legal powers to officers and punishment to offenders.
• Impounding of all weapons, tools and vehicles used for wildlife offences.
• Breeding programme for endangered species.

Drawbacks

• Ownership certificates for animal articles (like tiger, leopard skins etc., are allowed. It leads to illegal trading.
• The offender is fined upto upto for Rs. 25,000 or imprisoned for 3 years or both. But these measures are not enough to deal with the poachers and wildlife traders.