KOCHI: The Union government has promised to consider Kerala’s demand to shift monkeys (bonnet macaque) from Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act to Schedule II so that the Chief Wildlife Warden can order capture and relocation of troops invading human habitations, Forest Minister A K Saseendran has said. The minister who met Union Minister for Environment and Forest Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday presented a memorandum with seven demands, including the declaration of wild pigs as vermin.
He said the Union minister has assured to issue notifications declaring the Eco Sensitive Zone of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks immediately, based on the recommendation of the state government to exclude human habitations. The minister apprised Bhupender Yadav about the increasing human-wildlife conflict in Kerala which is posing a threat to human life and property.
The Centre should amend the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 rules by incorporating practical provisions for ensuring the protection to life and property in human landscapes. The factors contributing to the human-wildlife conflict include habitat fragmentation, infestation of invasive species, presence of large-scale monocultures, and a reduced tolerance level among communities residing near forests, the minister told Bhupender Yadav. .
He also sought Central nod for distribution of title deeds for settlements prior to 1977, under the ‘Kerala Land Assignment (Regularisation of Occupation of Forest Lands prior to 1.1.1977) Special Rules, 1993’, based on the joint verification by Forest and Revenue Departments. He also urged the minister to allocate funds to ensure ecologically-friendly pilgrimage at pilgrim centres located deep inside the forest, including Sabarimala and Malayattoor.