Act

National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973

All laws Acts

Type
Act
Year
२०२९ BS · 1973 AD
Status
In force
Category
खण्ड १३: बन, वातावरण तथा जलस्रोत · Volume 13: Nature, Environment and Water Resources
Official text
Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation
Official English translation
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

  • The government may declare national parks, reserves and conservation areas by Gazette notice (and change their boundaries or degazette them the same way), and buffer zones around parks and reserves, which are managed with user committees under plans approved by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation without affecting local people's land ownership. People displaced by floods or landslides into a park get compensation from the park's community-development share, and people harmed by wildlife outside parks get relief as prescribed.सरकारले राजपत्रमा सूचना प्रकाशन गरी राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्ज, आरक्ष र संरक्षण क्षेत्र घोषणा गर्न (र सोही तरिकाले सिमाना हेरफेर वा परित्याग गर्न) र तिनका वरिपरि मध्यवर्ती क्षेत्र तोक्न सक्छ; मध्यवर्ती क्षेत्र स्थानीय जनताको भूस्वामित्वमा असर नपर्ने गरी उपभोक्ता समितिको परामर्शमा राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्ज तथा वन्यजन्तु संरक्षण विभागले स्वीकृत गरेको योजनाअनुसार व्यवस्थापन हुन्छ। बाढीपहिरोले घरजग्गा निकुञ्जभित्र परेकालाई सामुदायिक विकासको रकमबाट क्षतिपूर्ति, र निकुञ्जबाहिर वन्यजन्तुबाट क्षति भएकालाई तोकिएबमोजिम राहत दिइन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 3–3घ, pp. 5–7
  • No one may enter a park or reserve without a permit, or without written permission hunt, build, clear or cultivate land, graze livestock, cut trees, mine, carry weapons or poison, or dam or poison rivers there; locals may be allowed traditional uses such as drinking water, irrigation, wild vegetables and fishing. The government may designate highly sensitive areas, and — after the 2081 amendment — allow national-priority, investment-board-approved or national-pride projects inside parks outside those areas. Services such as hotels and lodges may be run under contract.प्रवेशपत्र बिना निकुञ्ज वा आरक्षभित्र प्रवेश गर्न, र लिखित अनुमति बिना शिकार, घर–छाप्रो बनाउने, जग्गा फाँड्ने वा खेती गर्ने, चौपाया चराउने, रूख काट्ने, खानी खन्ने, हतियार वा विष लैजाने, नदी थुन्ने वा विषालु पदार्थ प्रयोग गर्न पाइँदैन; स्थानीय जनतालाई खानेपानी, सिँचाइ, जंगली सागसब्जी र माछा मार्नेजस्ता परम्परागत उपयोगको अनुमति दिइन्छ। सरकारले अतिसंवेदनशील क्षेत्र तोक्न सक्छ र २०८१ को संशोधनपछि त्यसबाहेकका क्षेत्रमा राष्ट्रिय प्राथमिकता, लगानी बोर्डबाट स्वीकृत वा राष्ट्रिय गौरवका आयोजना सञ्चालन गर्न दिन सक्छ। होटल, लज जस्ता सेवा करारमार्फत सञ्चालन गर्न सकिन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 4–6, pp. 7–11
  • Wildlife in Schedule 1 is protected; hunting elsewhere needs a licence within set quotas and seasons, and collecting specimens or keeping, importing or exporting trophies needs permits. Killing, trading or possessing parts of rhino, tiger, elephant, musk deer, clouded leopard, snow leopard or gaur carries Rs 500,000–1,000,000 fines or 5–15 years' prison or both; encroaching on protected areas up to 10 years; lesser penalties apply for other protected species and birds. Cases are investigated by park officials and prosecuted by the government.अनुसूची–१ का वन्यजन्तु संरक्षित छन्; अन्यत्र तोकिएको कोटा र मौसमभित्र अनुज्ञापत्र लिएर मात्र शिकार गर्न पाइन्छ, र नमुना संकलन वा आखेटोपहार राख्न, निकासी–पैठारी गर्न अनुमति चाहिन्छ। गैंडा, बाघ, हात्ती, कस्तुरी मृग, ध्वाँसे चितुवा, हिउँ चितुवा वा गौरीगाई मार्ने वा तिनका अंग किनबेच गर्नेलाई पाँचदेखि दश लाख रुपैयाँ जरिवाना वा पाँचदेखि पन्ध्र वर्ष कैद वा दुवै; संरक्षित क्षेत्र अतिक्रमण गर्नेलाई दश वर्षसम्म कैद; अन्य संरक्षित वन्यजन्तु र पंक्षीमा कम सजाय हुन्छ। मुद्दाको तहकिकात निकुञ्जका अधिकारीले गर्छन् र सरकारवादी हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 10–20, pp. 11–17; Sections 26–30, pp. 22–25

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

  • Unclear The High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission (2081) found that there are legal and procedural barriers to using national parks and protected areas for income and business, citing as an example that the high entry fees charged to foreign tourists discourage trekking and cultural or religious visits to parks.उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग (२०८१) अनुसार राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्ज र संरक्षित क्षेत्रलाई आयआर्जन र व्यावसायिक रूपमा उपयोग गर्न कतिपय कानूनी र प्रक्रियागत अवरोध छन्; उदाहरणका लागि विदेशी पर्यटकलाई लाग्ने उच्च प्रवेश शुल्कले पदयात्रा, सांस्कृतिक र धार्मिक पर्यटकलाई निकुञ्ज भ्रमणमा निरुत्साहित गरेको छ। High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance · Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text HLERC forests chapter, PDF p. 250 (printed p. 183); Act Section 4(2), p. 8

Ideas to fix it

  • The Commission recommends charging foreign tourists the same entry fee as Nepali tourists for national parks and protected areas, and setting up rapid relief funds and rescue centres in municipalities bordering national parks, conservation areas and buffer zones for people harmed by wildlife.आयोगले राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्ज र संरक्षित क्षेत्रमा विदेशी पर्यटकलाई पनि नेपाली पर्यटकसरह प्रवेश शुल्क लाग्ने व्यवस्था गर्न, र निकुञ्ज, संरक्षण क्षेत्र र मध्यवर्ती क्षेत्रसँग सिमाना जोडिएका पालिकामा वन्यजन्तुबाट पीडितलाई राहत दिन द्रुत राहत कोष र उद्धार केन्द्र स्थापना गर्न सिफारिस गरेको छ। Proposed by: High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission (2081) High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

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