Lok Sabha Question No. 291 (STARRED), answered on 2016-12-06
Subject: Biodiversity Hotspots
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: THOKCHOM MEINYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST & CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 291

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2016

## Biodiversity hotspots

## *291. DR. THOKCHOM MEINYA:

Will  the Minister of  ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the identified Biodiversity hotspots in the country, State-wise;
- (b) the initiatives/steps taken by the Government to safeguard these hotspots;
- (c) whether the Government  has  allocated/sanctioned funds for the protection and preservation of these hotspots; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  during the last three  years and the current  year, location and State-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 291 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6.12.2016 REGARDING BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS BY DR. THOKCHOM MEINYA.

- (a) According  to  India's  Fifth  National  Report  submitted  to  the  Convention  on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2014, out of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots, four are present in India which are:
- (i) Himalaya : (Jammu &  Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and hill regions of Assam and West Bengal).
- (ii) Indo-Burma :  (Arunachal  Pradesh,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura)
- (iii) Western Ghats and Sri Lanka : (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
- (iv) Sundalands : Nicobar group of Islands
- (b) Some  important  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  for  safeguarding  these hotspots  in  the  country  include:  survey,  inventorization,  taxonomic  validation and  threat  assessment  of  floral  and  faunal  resources;  assessment  of  the  forest cover to develop an accurate database for planning and monitoring; establishment of a Protected Area  Network  of  National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries,  Conservation  and  Community  Reserves;  designating  Biosphere Reserves for conservation of representative ecosystems; undertaking of species oriented programmes, such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant; complemented with ex-situ conservation efforts. In addition, Biological Diversity Act 2002 has also been enacted with the aim to conserve biological resources of the country and regulation of access to these resources to ensure equitable  sharing  of  benefits  arising  out  of  their  use,  under  which  a  National Biodiversity Authority and State Biodiversity Boards in all States have been set up for implementing the provisions of the Act.
- (c) &  (d) The Government has released funds for the protection and preservation of  these  hotspots  to  States/UTs  during  the  last  three  years  and  current  year through various Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes including 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats' (Annex-1), Project Tiger (Annex-2), Project Elephant' (Annex-3). The Department of Biotechnology has an Environmental Biotechnology  programme  with  the  overall  aim  of ex-situ conservation  and characterization of biodiversity in various parts of country, including biodiversity hotspots in Western Ghats and North Eastern Region of India.  The details of the funds released during the last three years and current year under this programme are given at Annex-4.

*****

ANN E X-1 Details of funds released to State/ UT Governments under CSS-'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats' during last three years and the current year

Rs. in lakhs)

| S.No.   | Name of States/UTs   | 2013-14    | 2014-15    | 2015-16    |   2016-17 (As on 24.11.2016) |
|---------|----------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------------------------|
| 1       | A& NIslands          | 150.00     | 00         | 100.00     |                      118.49  |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh       | 00         | 63.31      | 0          |                        0     |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh    | 220.439    | 00         | 304.02     |                      256.811 |
| 4       | Assam                | 138.88     | 149.11     | 87.10      |                        0     |
| 5       | Bihar                | 34.8715    | 85.249     | 108.011    |                      100.576 |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh         | 408.74     | 482.087    | 213.409    |                      278.945 |
| 7       | Goa                  | 00         | 00         | 00         |                        0     |
| 8       | Gujarat              | 537.84457  | 634.94     | 395.798    |                      497.604 |
| 9       | Haryana              | 00         | 14.71      | 99.33      |                      124.657 |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh     | 475.849    | 430.345    | 431.837    |                      280.31  |
| 11      | Jammu &Kashmir       | 485.747    | 506.761    | 354.00     |                      336.506 |
| 12      | Jharkhand            | 97.7655    | 101.12     | 18.62      |                        0     |
| 13      | Karnataka            | 351.00     | 483.7769   | 262.13     |                      325.52  |
| 14      | Kerala               | 505.782    | 818.491    | 967.386    |                      700.317 |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh       | 454.354    | 371.354    | 394.565    |                      322.265 |
| 16      | Maharashtra          | 470.772    | 402.723    | 277.94     |                      497.35  |
| 17      | Manipur              | 80.80      | 129.192    | 248.919    |                      340.032 |
| 18      | Meghalaya            | 25.56      | 44.87      | 38.3902    |                       55.23  |
| 19      | Mizoram              | 210.334    | 131.54134  | 94.55      |                     1196.76  |
| 20      | Nagaland             | 15.375     | 85.155     | 235.48     |                      169.226 |
| 21      | Odisha               | 341.7448   | 350.3229   | 246.8365   |                      279.65  |
| 22      | Rajasthan            | 430.884    | 367.296    | 314.788    |                      429.998 |
| 23      | Sikkim               | 129.27836  | 169.15643  | 290.32635  |                      145.52  |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu           | 277.7918   | 280.626    | 113.261    |                        0     |
| 25      | Telangana            | --         | -          | --         |                        0     |
| 26      | Uttar Pradesh        | 323.531    | 224.899    | 235.05     |                      250.956 |
| 27      | Uttarakhand          | 326.282    | 141.116    | 188.318    |                      482.351 |
| 28      | West Bengal          | 184.3735   | 108.847    | 100.934    |                      237.66  |
| 29      | Puducherry           | 0          | 12.00      | 00         |                        0     |
|         | TOTAL                | 6677.99903 | 6588.99857 | 6120.99905 |                     7426.73  |

Annex-2

Details of the funds allocated and disbursed during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise under CSS-'Project Tiger'.

(Rs. in Lakhs)

| Sl. No.   | States            | 2013-14      | 2014-15   | 2015-16     |   2016-17 (as on 31.10.2016) |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------|-----------|-------------|------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 211.7804     | 184.141   | 0.00        |                      173.486 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh | 757.1705     | 658.426   | 429.53900   |                      522.945 |
| 3         | Assam             | 808.9665     | 1509.389  | 1425.4130   |                      649.213 |
| 4         | Bihar             | 285.0898     | 317.096   | 223.55051   |                      384.655 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      | 583.056      | 609.827   | 398.94500   |                      626.567 |
| 6         | Jharkhand         | 251.168      | 199.080   | 47.98470    |                      251.949 |
| 7         | Karnataka         | 2016.0318    | 1565.773  | 1378.19440  |                     2841.86  |
| 8         | Kerala            | 489.296      | 517.5351  | 396.60100   |                      623.543 |
| 9         | Madhya Pradesh    | 4815.734     | 4335.118  | 1421.00700  |                     7459     |
| 10        | Maharashtra       | 3453.3483    | 3425.524  | 3923.07890  |                     4956.65  |
| 11        | Mizoram           | 233.68       | 232.189   | 187.98450   |                      234.438 |
| 12        | Odisha            | 786.9        | 707.391   | 544.80052   |                      719.848 |
| 13        | Rajasthan         | 512.848      | 627.192   | 1257.80800  |                      280.623 |
| 14        | Tamil Nadu        | 763.255      | 864.316   | 1950.17128  |                      838.258 |
| 15        | Telangana         | 0.00         | 0.00      | 214.81920   |                      239.259 |
| 16        | Uttarakhand       | 384.045      | 391.1941  | 683.98538   |                      961.383 |
| 17        | Uttar Pradesh     | 525.876      | 760.928   | 624.54630   |                     1057.05  |
| 18        | West Bengal       | 348.516      | 596.882   | 376.50781   |                      536.141 |
| 19        | Goa               | 2.05         | 0.00      | 0.00        |                        0     |
|           | Total             | 17,228.81133 | 17,502.00 | 15,484.9365 |                    23356.9   |

Annex-3 Details of funds released to State Governments under CSS-'Project Elephant' during last three years and the current year

(Rs. in lakhs)

| Sl. No   | State/UTs         | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2015-16    | 2016-17    |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | -         | 13.523    | -          | 13.62282   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 83.48     | 97.714    | 61.206     | 80.0496    |
| 3        | Assam             | 173.00    | 236.664   | -          | -          |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh      | 49.622    | 43.7456   | 21.91      | 61.1624    |
| 5        | Jharkhand         | 95.655    | 88.4256   | 53.453     | 73.47      |
| 6        | Karnataka         | 325.412   | 225.319   | 181.054    | 254.80     |
| 7        | Kerala            | 252.90    | 236.72    | 204.54     | 343.89696  |
| 8        | Maharashtra       | 18.682    | 38.202    | 8.062      | 14.335     |
| 9        | Meghalaya         | 101.00    | 118.838   | 81.387     | 104.2128   |
| 10       | Nagaland          | 21.75     | 44.8132   | 15.44      | 20.3143    |
| 11       | Orissa            | 257.60    | 153.35    | 105.63     | 182.4276   |
| 12       | Tamil Nadu        | 211.00    | 251.208   | 160.533    | 25.80      |
| 13       | Tripura           | 9.766     | 6.03      | 26.10932   | 22.464     |
| 14       | Uttar Pradesh     | -         | 5.16      | 15.33      | 14.174     |
| 15       | Uttarakhand       | 115.068   | 103.908   | 82.61      | 175.4576   |
| 16       | West Bengal       | 97.626    | 103.814   | 105.174    | 101.45     |
| 17       | Haryana           | 30.97     | -         | 10.00      | -          |
| 18.      | Bihar             | -         | -         | 3.008      | 16.2904    |
| 19.      | Rajasthan         | -         | -         | -          | 15.84      |
| 20.      | Punjab            | -         | -         | -          | 1.825      |
| 21.      | Madhya Pradesh    | -         | -         | -          | 6.8442     |
|          | Total             | 1843.531  | 1767.4344 | 1135.44632 | 1528.43668 |

## Environmental Biotechnology programme

|   S. No. | Title of the project                                                                                                                                                                                    | Name of the Institute                                                                                                       | Total Allocated Cost (Rs. in lakhs)   | Date of project sanction and Project Duration   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Conservation of Vanda thwaitisii, V. wightii and Eulophia cullenii three Endangered Orchids of Western Ghats through micropropagation and restoration with tribal participation                         | Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala                                   | 39.53                                 | Sanctioned on 29.07.2010 for 5 Years            |
|        2 | Conservation of critically endangered and economically important species Mysristica malabarica in the central Western Ghats using ecological niche models as a tool to identify areas for conservation. | University of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore; and ATREE, Bangalore, Karnataka                                              | 52.90                                 | Sanctioned on 14.02.2011 for 3 Years            |
|        3 | Patterns of Distribution of Selected Faunal Groups in the Agasthiamalai Hills, Western Ghats, Kerala, India                                                                                             | Salim Ali Centre For Ornithology And Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu                                                 | 24.90                                 | Sanctioned on 23.05.2011 for 3 Years            |
|        4 | Patterns of distribution and diversification in select snake genera in the Western Ghats and Northeast India                                                                                            | India Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka                                                                            | 28.23                                 | Sanctioned on 19.09.2011 for 3 Years            |
|        5 | Preventing extinction and improving conservation status threatened plants through application of biotechnological of tools                                                                              | This is a pan India project involving 32 Indian research institutions/ universities located in various parts of the coutry. | 1451.548*                             | Sanctioned on 23.03.2012 for 5 years            |
|        6 | Impacts of habitat fragmentation on the host parasite interaction in endemic and endangered animals of Western Ghats                                                                                    | Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh                                                        | 52.23                                 | Sanctioned on 08.11.2012 for 3 Years            |

## Annex-4

| Sl. No.   | Name of Institute                                |   Sanctioned Cost (Rs. in lakhs) |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1         | Noth East Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya   |                          268.046 |
| 2         | Sikkim University, Gangtok, Sikkim               |                           27.612 |
| 3         | GBPIHED (Sikkam Unit), Gangtok, Sikkim           |                           31.742 |
| 4         | BSI, Howrah, West Bengal                         |                           26.352 |
| 5         | Mozoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram              |                           29.352 |
| 6         | Assam University, Silchar, Assam                 |                           27.152 |
| 7         | Tripura University, Tripura                      |                           23.652 |
| 8         | RPRC, Bhubaneswar, Orissa                        |                           32.384 |
| 9         | OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Orissa                        |                           31.484 |
| 10        | SKU, Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh                    |                           25.852 |
| 11        | GBPIHED, Kullu Unit, Himachal Pradesh            |                           39.372 |
| 12        | IHBT, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh                 |                           39.352 |
| 13        | YSPUH &F, Solan, Himachal Pradesh                |                           28.102 |
| 14        | Goa University, Goa                              |                           35.71  |
| 15        | UAS, Dharwad, Karnataka                          |                           24.602 |
| 16        | BSKK Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Maharashtra             |                           24.602 |
| 17        | Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur              |                           21.602 |
| 18        | Nagaland University, Lumami, Nagaland            |                           55.204 |
| 19        | GU, Gauhati, Assam                               |                           64.808 |
| 20        | BSI, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh                 |                           46.744 |
| 21        | CAU, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh                 |                           31.352 |
| 22        | NERIST, Nlrjuli, Arunachal Pradesh               |                           25.852 |
| 23        | FRLHT, Bangalore, Karnataka                      |                           78.222 |
| 24        | IIHR, Bangalore, Karnataka                       |                           37.416 |
| 25        | Delhi University, Delhi                          |                           58.332 |
| 26        | BSI, Dehradun, Uttaranchal                       |                           25.924 |
| 27        | JNVU, Jodhpur, Rajasthan                         |                           53.164 |
| 28        | CAZRI, Jodhpur, Rajasthan                        |                           48.384 |
| 29        | University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir |                           61.688 |
| 30        | GBPIHED, Almora, Uttaranchal                     |                           47.204 |
| 31        | BGSB, Rajouri, Jammu &Kashmir                    |                           48.204 |
| 32        | DIHAR, Leh, Ladakh, Jammu &Kashmir               |                           32.08  |
|           | Total                                            |                         1451.55  |