Lok Sabha Question No. 4223 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Protection of Wildlife Habitats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jayant Sinha

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4223

TO BE ANSWERED ON  13.12.2019

## Protection of Wildlife Habitats

## 4223.  SHRI JAYANT SINHA:

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

- (a) the details of the various measures taken by the Government to protect wildlife habitats of endangered and vulnerable species in the country;
- (b) whether crimes against wildlife has decreased across the country in the past three years; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The steps taken by the Government to protect wildlife habitats of endangered and vulnerable species in the country is given in the Annexure.
- (b)and (c) As per the data available with the  Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, based on the  information  provided  by    the  State  Forest    and  Police  authorities,  the number of wildlife crime cases  for the last three years are as under:

|   Year |   Total no. of cases registered under Wildlife (Protection) Act |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|   2016 |                                                             565 |
|   2017 |                                                             342 |
|   2018 |                                                             388 |

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4223 REGARDING 'PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE  HABITATS'  BY  SHRI  JAYANT  SINHA  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON 13.12.2019.

The steps taken to protect wildlife habitats of endangered and vulnerable species in the country include:

- i. Protected  Areas,  viz.,  National  Parks,  Sanctuaries,  Conservation  Reserves  and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals, birds  and their habitats.
- ii. Financial assistance is provided to the State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme  of 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats',  which inter-alia ,  includes  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats,  Project Tiger and Project Elephant, for providing better protection to wildlife including birds  and improvement of habitat.
- iii. A specific component of 'Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats' is provided in the on-going  Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats'    for  focused  conservation    action  on  21 identified  critically    endangered  species  including  Humpback  whale,  Snow leopard,  Hangul,  Sangai    deer,    Marine  turtle,  Bustards,  Edible-nest  Swiftlet, Nicobar  megapode,  Jerdon's  Courser  and  vultures. Financial assistance is provided  to  States/UT  Governments  for  recovery  programme  of  the  critically endangered species of birds and animals.
- iv. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for punishment for violation of its provisions.  The  Act  also  provides  for  forfeiture  of  any  equipment,  vehicle  or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).

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