Section 24 of WLPA : Section 24: Acquisition Of Rights

Explanation using Example

Imagine a local farmer, Mr. Sharma, claims that he has been cultivating a piece of land for generations, and this land now falls within the boundaries of a proposed wildlife sanctuary under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Mr. Sharma submits his claim to the Collector as per Section 19 of the Act.

After reviewing the evidence, the Collector decides under Section 24(1) that Mr. Sharma's claim is valid. The Collector now has a few options:

• The Collector can exclude Mr. Sharma's land from the sanctuary boundaries, allowing him to continue farming (Section 24(2)(a)).
• Alternatively, the Collector can acquire Mr. Sharma's land for the sanctuary, compensating him as per the land acquisition laws (Section 24(2)(b)).
• Lastly, the Collector might also allow Mr. Sharma to continue using the land under certain conditions, in consultation with the Chief Wild Life Warden (Section 24(2)(c)).