Manipur
,
Tamenglong
,
Tamenglong
Published : 12 July, 2014   |   Last updated - 24 Jun, 2024
Communities oppose extension of eco-sensitive zone around Zeilad Wildlife Sanctuary in Manipur
Reported by
Anurag Das
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Updated by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
People Affected
2022
Year started
2100
Land area affected
Households affected
People Affected
2022
Year started
2100
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Conservation and Forestry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Protected Areas
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

On 31st August, 2022, the district collector of Tamenglong in Manipur issued a notification vide NO.DC(TML)11/315(WLS)97 under Section 19 of Wildlife(Protection) Act,1972 to extend the limits of the Zeilad wildlife sanctuary. This is likely to impact seventeen villages in the area, a few of which include Zeiladjang, Makuai (Atengba), Tajijang , Tongtao, Charinapang, Chingkao, Impa Ningdi, Kaikao, and Lungjon.

The area was notified as wildlife sanctuary under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 vide notification no.60/2/95 as on 24th April,1997. Initially it covered an area of 21.00 square kilometres in Tamenglong district. But on 20th October, 2016, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Government of India vide notification no. S.O.3309(E) declared an additional 235 square kilometres as Zeilad wildlife sanctuary eco sensitive zone under sections 3(1), 3(2)(v) & (xiv) and 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The 2022 notification was issued to implement the 2016 directives on ground.

The district administration's notification led to objections from the affected villagers under the banner of  ‘Zeilad Wildlife sanctuary affected village committee’. The concerned committee claimed that the extension of the sanctuary was proposed without following prior procedure under the Indian law. 

The affected population asserts that entire area of the sanctuary falls under their community land and are governed according to their customary institutions and laws. Also, all these village habitats have been in existence since time immemorial and recognised by the Government of India as revenue villages.

They allege that the concerned authority failed to consult the stakeholders and the final notification was issued without the prior knowledge or consent of affected communities. Hence they consider this proposal of declaring their land under wildlife sanctuary as an act against interest of the community and urged the Government to withdraw this proposal. They warned that if their concerns were not taken into consideration then they will be left with no option then taking extreme steps like agitation, protest, blockade.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Refusal to give up land for the project

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Religious/Sacred/Cultural value, Agricultural land, Residential area, Fishing

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Author
Reported by
Anurag Das

Manipur

Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.

Read More

Latest updates
Rajasthan
Rajasthan

UIT Bikaner's Jorbeer Housing Project on Stalls Following Rajasthan High Court Order

Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Jaipur Development Authority Acquires Land for Township Project, Ending Conflict

Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Farmers land acquired under Mansarovar Housing Scheme in Lucknow

Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Citizens unite against cycle track around Powai, Vihar Lakes in Mumbai

Jharkhand
Jharkhand

Families displaced by Mandal Dam in Jharkhand opppose project resumption

Jharkhand
Jharkhand

Jharkhand approves Adani's thermal plant, farmers allege violation of LARR Act

Gujarat
Gujarat

Pastoral Community in Gujarat's Banni Grasslands Demands Titles Recognising Community Forest Rights

Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Builder Encroaches Upon Farmers Land in Gosaiganj Lucknow, 150 Allottees in Lurch

Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Refusal to give up land for the project

Communities oppose extension of eco-sensitive zone around Zeilad Wildlife Sanctuary in Manipur

Reported by

Anurag Das

Legal Review by

Anmol Gupta, Mukta Joshi

Edited by

Radhika Chatterjee

Updated by

Updated by

Published on

February 15, 2023

February 16, 2023

Edited on

February 15, 2023

Sector

Conservation and Forestry

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Protected Areas

Encroachment over community land

Wildlife Sanctuary

Starting Year

2022

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

2100

ha

Households Affected by Conflict

People Affected by Conflict

State

Manipur

Sector

Conservation and Forestry

People Affected by Conflict

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

2100

ha

Starting Year

2022

Location of Conflict

Tamenglong

Tamenglong

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Protected Areas

Encroachment over community land

Wildlife Sanctuary

Land Conflict Summary

On 31st August, 2022, the district collector of Tamenglong in Manipur issued a notification vide NO.DC(TML)11/315(WLS)97 under Section 19 of Wildlife(Protection) Act,1972 to extend the limits of the Zeilad wildlife sanctuary. This is likely to impact seventeen villages in the area, a few of which include Zeiladjang, Makuai (Atengba), Tajijang , Tongtao, Charinapang, Chingkao, Impa Ningdi, Kaikao, and Lungjon.

The area was notified as wildlife sanctuary under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 vide notification no.60/2/95 as on 24th April,1997. Initially it covered an area of 21.00 square kilometres in Tamenglong district. But on 20th October, 2016, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Government of India vide notification no. S.O.3309(E) declared an additional 235 square kilometres as Zeilad wildlife sanctuary eco sensitive zone under sections 3(1), 3(2)(v) & (xiv) and 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The 2022 notification was issued to implement the 2016 directives on ground.

The district administration's notification led to objections from the affected villagers under the banner of  ‘Zeilad Wildlife sanctuary affected village committee’. The concerned committee claimed that the extension of the sanctuary was proposed without following prior procedure under the Indian law. 

The affected population asserts that entire area of the sanctuary falls under their community land and are governed according to their customary institutions and laws. Also, all these village habitats have been in existence since time immemorial and recognised by the Government of India as revenue villages.

They allege that the concerned authority failed to consult the stakeholders and the final notification was issued without the prior knowledge or consent of affected communities. Hence they consider this proposal of declaring their land under wildlife sanctuary as an act against interest of the community and urged the Government to withdraw this proposal. They warned that if their concerns were not taken into consideration then they will be left with no option then taking extreme steps like agitation, protest, blockade.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Refusal to give up land for the project

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Religious/Sacred/Cultural value, Agricultural land, Residential area, Fishing

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Section 18 [State Government may declare, by notification, an area with ecological significance as a wildlife sanctuary. The notification must specify the territorial limits of the sanctuary as nearly as possible] Section 19 [Collector must make an inquiry into the nature of rights of any persons in or over the land notified as a sanctuary under Section 18] Section 21 [When notification has been issued under Section 18, the Collector must publish a notice within 60 days to every town or village in the area. Affected persons can claim their rights in writing as mentioned in Section 19] Section 22 [Collector to expeditiously inquire into any claims made to them] Section 24 [Collector must pass an order admitting or rejecting the claims made by affected parties] Section 25 [Land acquisition proceedings to follow the procedure laid out in the central land acquisition act. The collector must hear objections from affected parties and determine the compensation amount for the land acquisition proceedings]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Sections 4 [This section requires preparation of a Social Impact Assessment study before land is acquired for public purpose]; Section 5 [This section provides for public hearing before the Social Impact Assessment to understand views of affected families]; Section 21(2) [This section states the public notice mentioned in Section 21(2) shall include particulars of land and would require all interested persons to state the nature of their interests in the land]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

No

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Violation of environmental laws

Non-consultation with stakeholders

Violation of free prior informed consent

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Tamenglong District administration

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Zeilad Wildlife Sanctuary affected villages committee

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

Other Land Conflicts in Manipur

cross
    Not a member yet?
    Sign up now
    Conflicts Map
    Conflict Database
    About Us