Lok Sabha Question No. 2903 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Extinction of Species of Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2903

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2021

## Extinction of Species of Animals

## 2903.  SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

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

- (a) the details of species of animals facing extinction across the country, specieswise;
- (b) the steps taken to enhance the protection of tiger reserve forests in the country including Kerala;
- (c) whether the forest cover has decreased in the country including Kerala in the last five years, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the reasons for such a decrease; and
- (e) whether any significant steps are being taken to increase the land area under forest cover, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) As per IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), there are 12 species of mammals, 17 species of birds, 10 species of reptiles, 20 species of amphibians and 36 species  of  fishes,  that  is,  altogether  95  species  of  animals  are  under  the  Critically Endangered (CR) category, which is next to Extinct (Ex) category.

(b) Tiger Conservation has statutory backing through a dedicated chapter in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 from which the National Tiger Conservation Authority (Normative  Standards  for  Tourism  Activities  and  Project  Tiger)  Guidelines,  2012 emanate.  These  guidelines  prescribe  normatives  for  tiger  conservation  in  the  country which inter  alia include  protection,  habitat  management,  monitoring  among  others. Further,  funding  assistance  under  the  ongoing  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Project Tiger  is  provided  for  conservation  of  tigers  and  their  habitat  in  the  country  including Kerala.

(c) & (d) No sir, there is no decrease in the forest cover in the country including the State of Kerala. As per latest India State of Forest Report-2019 prepared by Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, the total forest cover of the country is 7,12,249 square kilometre (km 2 ), which is 21.67% of the total geographic area of the country. The increase in forest cover for the country and State of Kerala during the last five years is as follows:

(Area in square kilometre)

|        | Forest Cover (ISFR 2015)   | Forest Cover (ISFR 2017)   | Forest Cover (ISFR 2019)   |
|--------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| India  | 7,01,495                   | 7,08,273 (6778)            | 7,12,249 (3976)            |
| Kerala | 19,278                     | 20,321 (1043)              | 21,144 (823)               |

(e)  Various  schemes  are  being  implemented  by  Central  and  State  Government  for increase in forest cover of the country. These include National Afforestation Programme (NAP)  and  Green  India  Mission  (GIM)  being  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change.  Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up under  various  programmes/funding  sources  such  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government/UT Administration.

The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  is  also  implementing  National Agroforestry Policy 2014 with an  objective  to  meet  the  demand  of  timber,  food,  fuel, fodder, fertilizer, fibre and other agroforestry products, conserving the natural resources and forest; protecting the environment  &  providing  environmental security; and increasing the forest/tree cover. Also, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture  (MIDH)  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  the  holistic  growth  of  the horticulture  sector  covering  fruits,  vegetables,  root  &  tuber  crops,  mushrooms,  spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.

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