On Wednesday, Bupender Yadav, India's Minister of the Environment, introduced the Wild Life (Protection) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill aims to include a dedicated framework to regulate or ban international trade of endangered species, as well as permit certain traditional activities of communities located near forested areas.
During the parliamentary session that coincided with the monsoons, the Lok Sabha voted to approve the bill.The minister explained that there were two primary goals of the bill, one of which was to incorporate the international treaty that India has signed into the legal framework.
Yadav added that until the villagers are completely relocated, it is necessary to provide "some level of protection" to those who live in forest areas, protecting their livestock and traditional rights.
The purpose of this bill is to improve protected area management by amending the original Act. It adds a caveat to allow for legitimate uses of water for human consumption and domestic purposes, such as grazing and livestock movement.
