Lok Sabha Question No. 4565 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Funds for Conservation of Tigers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4565

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020

## Funds for Conservation of Tigers

## 4565.  SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  specific  scheme  for  the  conservation  of tigers in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details thereof including the funds being provided to various States under the said scheme; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to increase funds meant for tiger conservation scheme in accordance with the requirements of the States for the said purpose?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

- (a) The Government of India through the National Tiger Conservation Authority implements the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger which is a component of the overarching scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
- (b) Under the said scheme, activities as at Annexure-I are financially assisted for which the following amount has been released over the last 3 years:

## (Rs. in Lakhs)

|   S. No. | State             |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh    |    173.49 |   232.49  |   217.992 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh |    597.29 |   671.022 |   929.762 |
|        3 | Assam             |   1510.93 |  2309.61  |  1919.62  |
|        4 | Bihar             |    487.84 |   552.273 |   570.897 |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh      |    626.57 |  1315.08  |   536.135 |
|        6 | Jharkhand         |    323.76 |   338.62  |   367     |
|        7 | Karnataka         |   3203.62 |  2308.85  |  2267.43  |
|        8 | Kerala            |    780.23 |   636.412 |   653.03  |
|        9 | Madhya Pradesh    |  12885.6  | 11455.5   |  5343.89  |
|       10 | Maharashtra       |   8229.72 |  6524.16  | 11049.6   |

| 11.   | Mizoram                                                                                         | 301.55   |   215.316 |    318.842 |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|-----------|------------|
| 12.   | Odisha                                                                                          | 917.17   |  1646.13  |  1022.32   |
| 13.   | Rajasthan                                                                                       | 381.3    |   773.09  |   791.83   |
| 14.   | Tamil Nadu                                                                                      | 949.87   |  2551.06  |  2366.82   |
| 15.   | Telangana                                                                                       | 239.26   |   350.416 |  1115.65   |
| 16.   | Uttarakhand                                                                                     | 1023.41  |  1187.44  |   685.336  |
| 17.   | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                   | 1057.05  |   820.074 |  1417.26   |
| 18.   | West Bengal                                                                                     | 536.14   |   597.581 |   719.01   |
| 19.   | All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) All Tiger Reserve States including Nagaland, Manipur and Goa. | --       |    14.93  |    24.8625 |
| Total | Total                                                                                           | 34224.8  | 34500     | 32317.3    |

- (c) Action  has  been  initiated  by  the  Government  of  India  to  increase  funds  for  tiger conservation  in  accordance  with  requirements  of  the  State  through  the  Expenditure Finance Committee, of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of which Project Tiger is a part.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4565 ON FUNDS FOR CONSERVATION OF TIGERS DUE FOR REPLY ON 20.03.2020

Several  activities  are  undertaken  for  tiger  conservation  under  the  ongoing  Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger are as under:-

1. Stepping up protection: (antipoaching squad/Tiger Protection Force deployment)
2. Deciding  inviolate  spaces  for  wildlife  and  relocation  of  villagers  from  core  or  critical tiger habitats in Tiger Reserves within a timeframe and settlement of rights.
3. Strengthening of infrastructure within Tiger Reserves.
4. Habitat improvement and water development.
5. Addressing  man-animal  conflict  (ensuring  uniform,  timely  compensation  for  human deaths due to wild animals, livestock depredation by carnivores, crop depredation by wild ungulates) (compensation for crop loss is a new component).
6. Co-existence agenda in buffer or fringe areas.
7. Rehabilitation of traditional hunting tribes living around tiger reserves.
8. Research and field equipments.
9. Staff development and capacity building.
10. Mainstreaming wildlife concerns in tiger bearing forests and fostering corridor conservation  through  restorative  strategy  involving  locals  to  arrest  fragmentation  of habitats.
11. Safeguards and Retrofitting measures in the interest of wildlife conservation.
12. Providing basic infrastructure.
13. Independent monitoring and evaluation of tiger reserves.
14. Establishment and development of new tiger reserves.
15. Provision of Project Allowance to staff of Project Tiger.
16. Staff welfare activities.
17. Fostering Tourism or Ecotourism in tiger reserves.

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