After row, Delhi govt drops NGO from 1st state wildlife board

According to officials familiar with the matter, the board will oversee wildlife-related matters in Delhi and submit reports to the National Board.

The Delhi government’s announcement of its first-ever State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) on Monday has drawn controversy, prompting it to remove prominent wildlife NGO Wildlife SOS from the panel after activists questioned its inclusion amid an ongoing investigation in Madhya Pradesh into alleged links to wildlife trafficking.

Sirsa told HT that the NGO would be dropped from the board and its association with the Delhi government’s forest department would end immediately. (HT Archive)

Delhi environment and forest minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told HT late on Monday that the NGO would be dropped from the board and its association with the Delhi government’s forest department would end immediately. A formal order will soon be issued, he said.

“The proposal to include it as a member of the State Board for Wildlife was moved in February 2026, and the final proposal went to the Competent Authority for approval in July 2026. It has now come to our knowledge that some cases were made in August 2026 in MP relating to the NGO’s alleged involvement in a wildlife crime. In light of this, Wildlife SOS will be dropped from the Board proposal, and its association with the Delhi forest department ends from today itself,” Sirsa said.

30-member board headed by Delhi CM

The 30-member board, headed by the Delhi chief minister as its chairperson, was notified on October 23, according to a gazette notification. It is a statutory body required to be set up by states and Union territories under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to advise on and oversee wildlife-related activities.

The board has the environment and forest minister as its vice-chairperson, two MLAs – Umang Bajaj (Rajender Nagar) and Gajender Singh Yadav (Mehrauli) – and 10 nominated experts as members. Three representatives from wildlife NGOs were also proposed: Wildlife Trust of India, WWF-India and Wildlife SOS.

Other members include the secretary (environment), the principal chief conservator of forests and Delhi’s chief wildlife warden. The NGO representatives and 10 nominated members will serve three-year terms, while the MLAs’ tenure will be co-terminus with their terms as legislators.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the board will oversee wildlife-related matters in Delhi and submit reports to the National Board. This will include work in and around Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary and matters concerning the Capital’s forests and biodiversity parks, the official said.

Wildlife SOS’s proposed inclusion questioned by MP-based activist

Wildlife SOS’s proposed inclusion was questioned by Madhya Pradesh-based activist Ajay Dubey, who wrote to the Delhi government alleging that it violated sub-section (1)(g) of Section 6 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. He said the provision mandated the inclusion of NGOs and individuals with proven credentials, expertise and an unblemished record in wildlife conservation.

The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) is investigating alleged links between the NGO and the seizure of 10 leopard skins on the Gwalior-Agra highway in July. Two suspects, Bhagwan Singh and Wasim Akram, associated with the NGO, had also alleged the involvement of its CEO, a charge Wildlife SOS has refuted.

“Inducting an organisation facing grave criminal allegations related to wildlife crime onto a state high-level statutory advisory body undermines public trust and subverts the purpose of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,” Dubey said in his letter. He also alleged that the administration had not conducted adequate background checks or scrutiny of the NGO’s credentials before proposing its appointment.

“We are concerned by the recent developments and hope that decisions concerning this matter will be guided by verified facts and due process, rather than allegations that are yet to be established, particularly when preliminary investigations are still underway,” a statement issued by the Wildlife SOS read.