Consider the following statements: 

Once the Central Government notifies an area as a ‘Community Reserve’

1. The Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest

2. Hunting is not allowed in such area

3. People of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce

4. People of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

11. Ans: b

Explanation:

As per section 36C of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 the State Government may declare any private or community land as community reserve where the community or an individual has volunteered to conserve wild life and its habitat for protecting fauna, flora, traditional conservation and cultural conservation values and practices. Such land should not be comprised within a National Park, sanctuary or a conservation reserve.

Section 36Dof the WLP Act says that the State Government shall constitute a Community Reserve management committee, which shall be the authority responsible for conserving, maintaining and managing the community reserve. 

• The committee shall be the competent authority to prepare and implement the management plan for the community reserve and to take steps to ensure the protection of wild life and its habitat in the reserve. 
• The committee shall elect a Chairman who shall also be the Honorary Wild Life Warden on the community reserve. 
• The committee shall regulate its own procedure including the quorum.

Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.

After a forest has been made into a community reserve, people cannot hunt there, not they can use it for agricultural practices, leave alone jhum cultivation. 

Hence Statement 2 is correct and 4 is incorrect.

CR reserves allow for extraction of natural resources, the levels of which are governed by a multi-stakeholder Reserve Management Committee. Therefore, people are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce.

Hence Statement 3 is correct.

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