Lok Sabha Question No. 2058 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: Conservation of Bio-Diversity
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MANSHANKAR NINAMA, BHARAT SINGH, RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO. 2058

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2017

## Conservation of Bio-Diversity

2058.

SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA:

SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

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

- (a) the  names  of  the  areas  identified  for  conservation  and  promotion  of  bio-diversity  in  the country;
- (b) the number of institutes engaged in research work relating to conservation of bio-diversity at present in the country; and
- (c) the  action  plan  worked  out  by  the  Government  to  protect  bio-diversity  against  the  hydel power projects and other development projects?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) Conservation and promotion of biodiversity in the country 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 mangroves, wetlands and coral reefs; and notification of biodiversity heritage sites and ecosensitive zones. So far, 103 National Parks, 536 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 38 mangrove sites, 26 wetlands, 4 coral reefs and 7 biodiversity heritage sites have been identified. Details of these areas  are  provided  in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change and on its website at http://envfor.nic.in/.
- (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, Kolkata and  its  regional  centres;  Zoological  Survey  of  India,  Kolkata  and  its  regional  centres; Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun; G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora; Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology  and  Natural  History,  Coimbatore;  Centre  for  Ecological  Sciences,  Indian Institute  of  Science,  Bengaluru;  Indian  Council  of  Forestry  Research  &  Education, Dehradun  and  its  regional  centres,  and  Indian  Institute  of  Forest  Management,  Bhopal. 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 in 2014; 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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