Lok Sabha Question No. 1340 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Conservation of Biodiversity
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO. 1340

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

## Conservation of Biodiversity

## 1340.  DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

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

- (a) the  areas  identified  for  conservation/development  of  biodiversity  in  the  Himalayan region in the country;
- (b) the number  of  institutes engaged  to  carry out research work  with  regard  to conservation of biodiversity in the country; and
- (c) the action plan formulated by the Government to ensure that hydro power projects and other development activities causes no harm to biodiversity in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Conservation  and  development  of  biodiversity  in  the  country,  including  Himalayan region is undertaken inter alia through establishment of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries,  notified  Reserved  Forest  areas,  designation  of  Biosphere  Reserves, identification of ecologically fragile areas such as wetlands, biodiversity heritage sites and  notification  of  eco-sensitive  zones.  So  far,  37  National  Parks,  122  Wildlife Sanctuaries, 7 Biosphere Reserves have been designated by Government of India in the Himalayan region. State-wise distribution of these areas in the Himalayan region is at Annexure.
- (b) Some of the prominent institutes engaged in research work relating to conservation of biodiversity  at  present  in  the  country  inter  alia  include  Botanical  Survey  of  India, Zoological Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History,  Indian  Institute of Science (Centre for  Ecological Sciences),  Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education and Indian Institute of Forest Management. Besides, a large number of Central Government Institutes, State Government  organizations,  Universities  and  Non-Government  Organisations  are engaged in research work relating to biodiversity in the country.
- (c) Some  of  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  biodiversity  in  case  of hydel  power  projects  and  other  development  projects  include  appraisal  of  project proposals  for  environment  clearance  as  per  the  provisions  of  Environment  Impact Assessment  Notification  2006,  as  amended  from  time  to  time,  wherein  mitigation measures for impacts on environment, ecology, wildlife as well as social impacts are embodied  in  Environment  Management  Plans  prepared  for  respective  projects; appraisal of project proposals requiring forest clearance as per the provisions of Forest (Conservation)  Rules  2003  as  amended;  and  appraisal  of  project  proposals  within National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries as per the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, as amended from time to time.

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Annexure State wise distribution of protected areas in Indian Himalayan Region

| States in Indian Himalayan Region   |   Number of National Parks |   Number of Wildlife Sanctuary | Number of Biosphere Reserve   |
|-------------------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Arunachal Pradesh                   |                          2 |                             11 | 2                             |
| Assam                               |                          5 |                             18 | 1                             |
| Himachal Pradesh                    |                          5 |                             28 | 1                             |
| Jammu &Kashmir                      |                          4 |                             15 | -                             |
| Manipur                             |                          1 |                              2 | -                             |
| Meghalaya                           |                          2 |                              4 | 1                             |
| Mizoram                             |                          2 |                              8 | -                             |
| Nagaland                            |                          1 |                              3 | -                             |
| Sikkim                              |                          1 |                              7 | 1                             |
| Tripura                             |                          2 |                              4 | -                             |
| Uttarakhand                         |                          6 |                              7 | 1                             |
| West Bengal                         |                          6 |                             15 | -                             |
| Total                               |                         37 |                            122 | 7                             |