Lok Sabha Question No. 1003 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-18
Subject: Endangered Birds
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sudheer Gupta, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik

## 1003.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1003

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.09.2020

## Endangered Birds

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that the population of endangered birds are in a state of continuous decline despite several Government schemes/programmes in place to protect them;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  transmission  lines  across  forests  are  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  decline  in population of birds and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any study to check the migratory patterns of endangered birds such as Vultures, Flamingos and Waders;
- (e) if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (f) the steps being taken to address the issues relating to protection of endangered birds and removal of power transmission lines in forests/national parks/ wildlife sanctuaries?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) and (b) There are no specific reports indicating that the population of endangered birds are in a state of continuous decline.
- (c) There  are  several  factors  which  lead  to  mortality  of  birdsincluding collision of some species of birds with transmission lines.
- (d) and (e) The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  not conducted any specific study to check the migratory patterns of Vultures, Flamingos and Waders in the recent past. However, National Action Plan for  conservation  of  Migratory  birds  along  the  Central  Asian  Flyway (CAF)  (2018-2023)'  was  launched  in  2018  with  a  goal  of  conserving migratory species and the habitats which also includes research components.
- (f) The steps taken by Government to address the issues relating to protection of endangered birds and removal of power transmission lines in forests/national parks/ wildlife sanctuaries includes:
- i. Notification of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around National Parks and Sanctuaries under provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to further strengthen conservation of wildlife including endangered birds.
- ii. The project proposals for installation of power transmission lines, passing  through  Protected  Areas  or  wildlife  habitats  are  first scrutinized  at  State  Board  for  Wildlife  and  later  in  Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife.
- iii. The  recommendations  of  the  Task Force  constituted by the Ministry for suggesting Eco-friendly measures to mitigate impacts of power transmission lines and other power transmission infrastructures  on  wildlife  including  the  endangered  birds  were accepted  by  the  Standing  Committee  of  National  Board  for Wildlife  during  its  54 th meeting  held  on  18 th July,  2019  and  the same were circulated to all States/ Union Territory Administrations.
- iv. The Ministry has requested the Ministry of  New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Power to direct the power supply agencies to implement the mitigation measures such as installation of bird diverters  on  power  lines,  undergrounding  of  power  lines  upto  33 KV, painting of vanes of wind turbines etc. for the protection of birds.
- v. The Ministry had also issued 'Eco-friendly  measures  to  mitigate impacts of linear infrastructure on wildlife' guidelines for mitigation  of  impacts  of  linear  infrastructure  including  power transmission  lines  on  birds  such  as  collision  and  electrocution which include rerouting power-lines from key bird areas, modification to power-lines, installation of bird diverters to enhance visibility of power lines etc.
- vi. The  'National  Action  Plan  for  conservation  of  Migratory  birds along the Central  Asian  Flyway (CAF)', which  was  launched by the  Ministry  addresses  the  issues  of  threats  to  birds  due  to powerlines.
- vii. Financial assistance is  provided  to  the  State/Union  Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats,  Project  Tiger  and  Project Elephant, for providing better protection to wildlife including rare species of birds and for improvement of their habitat.