Leh, 12 September (H.S.): The Ladakh State Board for Wildlife has rejected a sub-committee report on settling boundaries within protected areas, citing discrepancies, as LG Vinai Kumar Saxena directed authorities to resolve the rights and claims of local communities in these areas within two months, an official said on Saturday.

Chairing the 16th meeting of the newly constituted Ladakh State Board for Wildlife, the LG said settling the rights and claims of local communities in the Hemis National Park, High Altitude Cold Desert (Changthang) Wildlife Sanctuary and Karakoram (Nubra–Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary within two months would pave the way for a lawful and participatory process to finalise their boundaries, particularly in the newly created districts.

A key agenda of the Board meeting was the consideration of the sub-committee report on finalisation of the boundaries of these three protected wildlife areas, a spokesperson of the Lok Bhavan said. The sub-committee, under the supervision of the chief secretary, was formed in January to identify and delineate core wildlife areas while excluding Army settlements and essential habitations.

The spokesperson said the decision is expected to bring long-awaited certainty to local communities, who have been seeking clarity regarding the boundaries of the protected areas and recognition of their longstanding settlements, habitations and traditional rights.

The local people contend that settlements and human habitations have existed for a very long time in these areas, which clearly fall outside the purview of the wildlife sanctuary. However, the sub-committee had included all these areas in its report.

The erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government had issued a preliminary notification of the boundaries of these sanctuaries in 1987. However, the Board, while deliberating threadbare on the final notification of the three protected areas, noted that the notification had not correctly mapped the boundaries of the protected areas on the ground, the spokesperson said.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar