(a) whether forest dwelling adivasis are facing livelihood crisis due to several wild life sanctuaries;
(b) if so, the efforts being made by the Government to address the problems being faced by the adivasis;
(c) whether various types of sanctuaries have also affected their shelters; and
(d) if so, the total number of adivasis compelled to leave their homes along with the details of families rehabilitated during the last three years and the current year?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) to (c) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for a detailed process, including settlement of rights, before issuance of final notification of a Sanctuary. The Act provides for acquisition of land or rights, as well as continuation of rights inside a Sanctuary and therefore, forest dwellers can carry out their traditional livelihood activities. Further, the said Act also provides that no Scheduled Tribes or other Forest dwellers shall be resettled or have their rights adversely affected for the purpose of creating inviolate areas for tiger conservation, except on a voluntary basis on mutually agreed terms and conditions. These provisions along with the safeguards provided in the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, protect the interests of Forest dwellers.
(d) Relocation of Scheduled Tribes or other Forest dwellers from Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks is purely on voluntary basis. Details of numbers of adivasis affected by or rehabilitated have not been maintained.
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