In a first, Chhattisgarh recognises CFR rights of village inside national park

Dhammashil Ganvir, the district forest officer and field director of Kanger Ghati National Park, visited the village and also reached out to ATREE — a research institute based in Bengaluru — for help in completing the process.

ATREE representatives Anubhav Shori and Lakshmi Nath, who are both fluent in the Gondi language, helped generate awareness about the situation and complete the extensive process of recognition of CFR rights in the village. Traditional boundaries of the village was mapped with GPS monitoring devices and the certificate with rights were handed to the village residents.

According to the Chhattisgarh government, it has recognised more than 4,000 CFR titles till mid-May.

CFR rights under section 3(1)(i) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 — commonly known as Forest Rights Act or FRA — provides for the recognition of the rights to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage” the community forest resource.

This right allows the community to formulate rules for forest use by itself and others, and thereby discharge its responsibilities under section 5 of the FRA. CFR rights, along with Community Rights (CRs) under sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c) are aimed at ensuring sustainable livelihoods of the community.

The FRA provides for CR and CFR rights recognition in all forest lands, including wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and national parks.