(a) the existing rules for notifying a wild animal in a State or an area as ''vermin'';
(b) whether such notification is done for the specific area with clear-cut boundary description;
(c) if so, the details thereof along with the details of such notifications in force; and
(d) whether any aboriginal/tribal group of people are exempted from wildlife acts for killing some animals for food and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) Section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers the Central Government to declare any wild animal other than those specified in Schedule-1 and Part –II of Schedule- II to be vermin for any area and for such period as may be specified in the notification.
(b) and (c)Description of locations/ areas in which a wild animal has been declared as vermin, is provided in the notification. The details of notifications issued so far in this regard is given below:
State Number of districts Wild animals included in Sch V of W(P) Act, 1972 Gazette notification Period of validity of notification
Bihar 31 Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) S.O. 3318(E) dated 01.12.2015 One year
10 Wild pig
(Sus scrofa)
Uttarakhand 13 Wild pig
(Sus scrofa) S.O. 374(E) dated 03.02.2016 One year
Himachal Pradesh- Shimla 01 Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) S.O. 1140(E) dated 14.03. 2016 Six months
Himachal Pradesh 10 S.O. 1922(E). dated 24.05.2016 One year
(d) Section 65 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 protects the hunting rights conferred on the Scheduled tribes of the Nicobar Islands in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands by notification of Andaman and Nicobar Administration No. 40/67/F. No. G 635, Vol. III dated 28th April 1967 published at page 1-5 of the extra ordinary issue of the Andaman and Nicobar Gazette dated 28th April 1967.
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