Lok Sabha Question No. 350 (STARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: GANESH SINGH

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO. 350

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2018

## Biological Diversity Act, 2002

## *350.  SHRI GANESH SINGH

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

- (a) the  provisions  of  the  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002  relating  to  conservation  and protection of environment; and
- (b)   the efforts being made by the Government under these provisions for conservation of forest wealth and wildlife in Madhya Pradesh?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a)  and  (b) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

********

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) and (b) of Lok Sabha Starred Question  No.  350  to  be  answered  on  Friday,  the  10 th August,  2018  on 'Biological Diversity Act, 2002 raised by Shri Ganesh Singh.

(a) The  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002  is  aimed  towards  conservation  of  biological diversity,  sustainable  use  of  its  components,  and  fair  and  equitable  sharing  of  benefits arising  out  of  the  use of  biological  resource  and  associated  traditional  knowledge.  While these three objectives are complementary and mutually reinforcing, the Sections of the Act which specifically provide for conservation of biodiversity include Sections 36, 37 and 38.

Section 36 of the Act primarily relates to developing national strategies, plans and programmes for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.   Towards this, the Government prepared a National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) in 2008.  Thereafter, 12 National  Biodiversity  Targets  developed  in  line  with  the  20  global  Aichi  targets  were incorporated in the Addendum 2014 to NBAP 2008.

Section 37 of the Act empowers the State Governments to notify in consultation with local bodies, areas of biodiversity importance as biodiversity heritage sites under the Act. So far, seven State Governments, namely, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh,  Telangana  and  West  Bengal  have  notified  12  biodiversity  heritage  sides  under Section 37 of the Act.

Section 38 of the Act provides that the Central Government, in consultation with the concerned State  Government, may notify species which are on the verge of extinction or likely to become extinct in the near future as threatened species, prohibit or regulate their collection, and take appropriate steps to rehabilitate and preserve those species.   So far, on the basis of responses received from State Governments, notifications have been issued for 16  States  and  two  Union  Territories,  namely,  Bihar,  Goa,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Karnataka, Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Orissa,  Punjab,  Tamil  Nadu, Tripura,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand,  West  Bengal,  and  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands  and Daman & Diu  under Section 38 of the Act.

The  Act  is  implemented  through  a  three-tiered  institutional  structure:  National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Boards, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level.

(b) The Madhya Pradesh State Government has set up State Biodiversity Board under Section 22(1) of the Act, and also notified State specific Rules for implementation of the Act.

In Madhya Pradesh, so far 23,743 Biodiversity Management Committees have been set up, and 890 Peoples Biodiversity Registers have been prepared.  The Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board  has  issued  advisories to various departments  of  the  State Government to conserve certain species under Section 23 (a) of the Act.

The  Madhya  Pradesh  State  Biodiversity  Board  has  also  issued  guidelines  for notification of biodiversity  heritage sites under Section 37 in 2017.

In  accordance  with  Section  38,  the  Central  Government  in  consultation  with  the Government of Madhya Pradesh has notified 3 species of threatened plants and 10 species of threatened animals in Madhya Pradesh vide notification dated 7.6.2010.

********