NTCA letter on relocation from tiger zones draws ire

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Last Updated09/09/2024

The apex body tasked with tiger conservation — asking 19 States to “prioritise” the removal of villagers who are residents in the core tiger zones has drawn the ire of several organisations and activists.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has come under criticism following a directive urging 19 States to prioritize the relocation of villagers residing in core tiger zones.
The directive, issued in a letter by G.S. Bharadwaj, Additional Director General of Forests (Project Tiger), expressed concern over the slow progress in relocating villages from core areas, which it argued poses a threat to tiger conservation.

According to NTCA, a total of 591 villages with 64,801 families still reside within the core areas of tiger reserves, despite efforts to relocate them since the inception of Project Tiger in 1973.
In Karnataka alone, 81 villages are located within the core zone, with 1,175 families already relocated since the project began.
The core zone of a tiger reserve is an area where human habitation and activities such as hunting and forest produce collection are prohibited. Surrounding the core zone is a buffer zone where such activities are allowed but are regulated.

India has 53 tiger reserves across 19 states, encompassing 848 villages and 89,808 families within core zones.
Since 1973, 257 villages involving 25,007 families have been relocated under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, which mandates that core zones must be kept “inviolate”—free of human presence—while ensuring that residents are voluntarily relocated under mutually agreed terms.

Several organizations and activists have raised objections to the NTCA’s directive, claiming it violates several laws that protect the rights of forest-dwelling communities.
A joint letter, sent to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on September 5, 2024, condemned the NTCA’s actions as a violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the Forest Rights Act, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARR), and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The letter argued that the NTCA’s directive could lead to conflicts between State authorities and forest-dependent communities, particularly Scheduled Tribes and other forest-dwelling tribes living in tiger reserves.
Activists claim that NTCA's relocation orders place undue pressure on state governments, potentially forcing them to engage in illegal practices.

A senior official from the Environment Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, defended the NTCA’s actions, stating that such letters were routine reminders to states about the need to make core zones inviolate.
The official emphasized that the relocation process is voluntary and must comply with legal frameworks ensuring the rights of forest dwellers are settled before any relocation occurs.