Guwahati: The Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) has written to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to outrightly reject the recommendation of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) to establish a Community Reserve on the right bank of the reservoir of the Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP)
The IRAC, which works for the welfare of the tribals/indigenous peoples in India, said it has opposed FAC’s recommendation to set up Community Reserve because it would not be in the interest of the indigenous communities.
The National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC) has undertaken to construct the 2880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP) on the Dibang River in Arunachal Pradesh Lower Dibang Valley district.
Earlier, in September 2014, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had recommended to Arunachal Pradesh Government that “the state Forest department should initiate the process to declare the right bank of the reservoir up to the ridgeline bordering the basin boundary between the Siang and Dibang up to Dri River to the north as a National Park for the future preservation of ecological diversity in the River Basin.”
The Stage-II/final approval of the Central Government for the diversion of 4577.84 hectares of forest land was granted on March 12, 2020 based on the submission of the State government that it has directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) to initiate the process of declaration of the National Park.
However, vide letter dated August 17, 2022 to the FAC, the Arunachal Pradesh Government expressed its inability to provide the land for the National Park on the ground that “it has found that the legal status of the land in question is unclassed Forest/community Forests on which the local people are enjoying customary rights since time immemorial and therefore will not to part away with their land by declaration of National Park (sic).”
In view of the above objection placed by the State Government, the FAC on October 17, 2022 suggested that “the said land may be considered for declaration as Community Reserve or Conservation Reserve under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in consultation with the local people to safeguard the rights of indigenous community and the Nodal officer may submit the report within three weeks to this Ministry for further perusal.”
The FAC has written twice (November 10, 2022, and a reminder on January 2, 2023) to the Arunachal Pradesh Government to submit a compliance report regarding the declaration of Community reserve.
The IRAC has cautioned Arunachal Pradesh Government against accepting the recommendation to establish a Community reserve.
“This is nothing sort of a ploy to grab the community forest land of the indigenous peoples. The concept of ‘Community reserve’ was first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002. The Community reserve is a ‘protected area’ under section 2(24A) of the WLP Act, 1972. Once community-owned forest land is declared as a ‘community reserve’, it comes under the purview of the forest laws and ownership is effectively transferred from the community to the Forest Department,” IRAC said in a statement.