Ladakh Board Scraps Protected Area Boundary Report, Sets 2-Month Deadline for Rights Claims

The Ladakh State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) has rejected a sub-committee report proposing the finalisation of boundaries for three major protected areas, citing discrepancies in mapping, failure to complete the statutory process for settling community rights and inadequate consideration of defence and national-security requirements. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed authorities to settle the rights and claims of local communities within two months, paving the way for a fresh and participatory process to determine the boundaries of the protected areas, particularly in the newly created districts.

The decision was taken at the 16th meeting of the newly constituted SBWL and concerns the Hemis National Park, High Altitude Cold Desert (Changthang) Wildlife Sanctuary and Karakoram (Nubra–Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary. The sub-committee, formed in January under the supervision of the Chief Secretary, was tasked with identifying core wildlife areas while excluding Army settlements and essential habitations. However, the Board found that the exercise was conducted through a “table-top” assessment without following the rights-settlement procedure mandated under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The protected areas were notified by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government in 1987, but the Board noted that the boundaries were not correctly mapped on the ground and that the statutory settlement of individual and community rights remained incomplete. Local residents have maintained that longstanding settlements, habitations and traditional grazing areas were wrongly included within sanctuary limits. Saxena has urged people to submit land titles and claims relating to traditional and pasture rights during renewed public hearings.

The latest decision follows years of attempts to rationalise the boundaries. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) conducted scientific assessments of the Karakoram and Changthang sanctuaries, considering high-conservation-value habitats, biodiversity, ecosystem services, cultural values and community needs. In June 2025, the SBWL approved the WII rationalisation report, which proposed net areas of 16,550 sq km for Karakoram and 9,695 sq km for Changthang. Earlier consultations in 2023 and 2024 had also focused on protecting livelihoods and addressing concerns raised by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.

The Board also flagged the strategic importance of several areas covered by the rejected report. It said defence and national-security considerations had not been adequately incorporated and noted that international boundaries shown on Survey of India maps should be used while determining protected-area limits.

Deputy Commissioners and Settlement Officers have been directed to resume public hearings and complete the proceedings within two months. The Board said early settlement would provide greater certainty to communities while creating a clearer framework for wildlife conservation and development.

Separately, the Board ratified 23 projects, including power-transmission infrastructure in strategic border areas, defence infrastructure and other essential projects in the Karakoram and Changthang regions, and forwarded them to the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife for clearance.