Protected Forests -(1) The Government may, by notification, declare

any forest or waste land which is the property of the Government or which is placed under their control for management and which is not included in a reserved forest, to be a protected forest and, on such declaration, the provisions of this Chapter shall apply to such protected forest.

1. (2) No such notification shall be made in respect of any land unless the nature and extent of the rights of the Government and of private . Substituted by Act 15 of 2016, section 4. persons in or over such land have been inquired into and recorded at a survey of settlement, or in such other manner as may be prescribed and every such record shall be presumed to be correct until the contrary is proved: Provided that, where in the case of any land, the Government consider that such inquiry and record are necessary, but that the completion thereof will occupy such length of time, as in the meantime, to endanger the rights of the Government, the Government may, pending such inquiry and record, declare such land to be protected forest but such declaration shall not affect or abridge any existing rights of individuals or communities.