The huge quantities of ivory stockpiled at the Kerala Forest Department headquarters and various strong rooms of the department will have to be incinerated shortly with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change insisting on its disposal.
The Ministry has also shot down the move of the State government to hand over several ivory and deer horns to various Indian Army stations for “safe custody.”
The Hindu had earlier reported that the officials of the Pangode Military Station, a part of the 2nd Battalion of Madras Regiment, the Grenadiers RC and the 4th Battalion of the 8th Gorkha Rifle had approached the State government seeking ivory, deer antlers and mount/horn to be kept at their respective units in safe custody. The State government, which overruled the objections raised by the forest officials, had favourably considered the request of the military units.
However, the move did not go well with the Union Ministry.
The Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Wild Life) recently wrote to the State Forest authorities that the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and its Rules “do not provide for handing over the wild animal articles/trophies which are the property of the State government, to anyone, including for safe custody.”
The Ministry, which cited Section 39 of the Act, noted that the wild animal articles/trophies which were the property of the State government had to be “disposed of in accordance with the Wild Life Disposal of Wild Animal Article Rules, 2023, by way of incineration.” The Ministry has also asked the Chief Wild Life Warden, Kerala, to take “further needful action” in this regard.
Incidentally, the State Board of Wildlife, chaired by the Kerala Chief Minister, had earlier turned down a proposal for incinerating some quantities of the ivory.
Legally bound
With the enactment of the Rules for the disposal of wildlife trophies, the State government was legally bound to incinerate them, sources said.
The Rules specify that the Director, Wild Life Preservation, the Chief Wild Life Warden or an Officer authorised by the Union or the State government may direct the incineration of wildlife trophies.
The incineration shall be conducted in the presence of a committee, which will have an officer not below the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests having custody of such property, a representative each of the local grama panchayat and the Revenue department who is not below the rank of a tahsildar, and an expert in the field of wildlife, according to the rules.
Published – February 02, 2025 08:46 pm IST