Lok Sabha Question No. 3210 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-05
Subject: Linear Projects in Wildlife Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ANJU BALA, B. SREERAMULU, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.3210

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.01.2018

## Linear Projects in Wildlife Areas

## 3210.  SHRIMATI ANJU BALA SHRI B. SRIRAMULU SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV

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

- (a) whether the Government has approved 'eco-friendly' guidelines framed by Dehradunbased Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that entails safeguards for animals and birds to speed up approvals of linear projects in wildlife areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is planning to set up a databank of legislations that can aid in better conservation of flora, fauna and rivers and if so, the details thereof
- (c) whether the Government has notified Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualification, Experience and Other Conditions of Members) Rules, 2017;
- (d) if so, the details and its implications in present rules thereof; and
- (e) the new steps / initiatives being taken by the Government for providing neat and clean environment to people in India?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Yes,  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  has  approved 'Ecofriendly  Measures  to  Mitigate  Impacts  of  Linear  Infrastructures  on  Wildlife' guidelines framed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. These guidelines provide standard template on structural and non-structural measures for mitigating the impact of roads, railway lines and power lines on wildlife including birds.
- (b) Conservation of flora, fauna and rivers in the country is covered within the ambit of extant  legislations  which  include  the  Forest  (Conservation)  Act  1980,  Wildlife (Protection)  Act  1972,  Environment  (Protection)  Act  1986,  Water  (Prevention  and Control  of  Pollution)  Act  1974,  Biological  Diversity  Act  2002  and  Rules  and Regulations under these Acts. The Forest Service officers at the Central and the State levels  are  responsible  for  conservation  and  management  of  forests.  Further  the Botanical  Survey  of  India  and  Zoological  Survey  of  India  are  mandated  with inventorisation and monitoring of flora and fauna of the country. The Namami Ganage Programme, a flagship programme of the Government is aimed at effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the National River Ganga.
- (c) & (d) Ministry  of  Finance,  Department  of  Revenue  has  notified  the  Tribunal,  Appellate Tribunal  and  other  Authorities  (Qualification,  Experience  and  Other  Conditions  of Members) Rules 2107 ( copy enclosed ).
- (e) Government has taken a number steps for clean environment including promotion of afforestation through utilization of CAMPA funds, Urban Forest and School Nursery, Greening  Highways,  Railways  and  Banks  of  Ganga;  Notification  of  eco-sensitive zones as buffer for protection around protected areas, installation of 24 X 7 real time air and effluent monitoring system pollution industrial units, upgradation of emission standards  for  many  industries.  Namami  Gange  Scheme  for  cleaning  of  Ganga  river, revamping  of  the  waste  management  rules,  revamping  comprehensive  environment pollution index (CEPI), launch of national air quality index, intensive conservation and management of mangroves and coral reefs, ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement with target of reducing emission intensively of the Indian economy, increase of nonfossil fuel share of energy mix and increasing the carbons sink.

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