National Board For Wildlife:
The standing committee of the NBWL (SC-NBWL) recently cleared projects such as a transmission line in Little Rann of Kutch, a controversial transmission line project in Goa’s Mollem national park, among others.
- National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is a statutory board constituted by the Central Government under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- It is responsible for guiding the government’s decisions on matters related to wildlife conservation and issuing approvals for projects in protected areas (PAs).
- The WLPA mandates that without the approval/recommendation of the NBWL, construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the boundaries of PAs, destruction or diversion of wildlife habitat, and de-notification of Tiger Reserves, cannot be done.
- It is a 47-member committee, headed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (environment minister) as vice chairperson.
- In addition to offices and institutions directly involved in conservation and protection of wildlife, the NBWL also has the chief of army staff, defence secretary, and expenditure secretary to Government of India as members.
- Further, the central government nominates 10 members who are eminent conservationists, ecologists, and environmentalists.
- The SC-NBWL shall consist of the Vice-Chairperson (environment minister), the Member Secretary, and not more than ten members to be nominated by the Vice-Chairperson from amongst the members of the NBWL.
- While the act envisaged the board and the committee as advisory bodies, their powers and responsibilities were increased in 2002, after the Supreme Court ruled that the SC-NBWL had to approve all proposals that sought permission for “any activity” within a wildlife sanctuary.
- The SC-NBWL also makes recommendations on the setting up of and management of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and other PAs and on matters relating to restriction of activities in those areas.
- The SC-NBWL shall ordinarily meet once in three months.
