Lok Sabha Question No. 1168 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-06
Subject: National Board for Wildlife
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Kani K. Navas

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1168

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

## National Board for Wildlife

## 1168.   SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR: SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

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

- (a) whether there has been an increase in wildlife clearances in the last five years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Prime  Minister  is  the  chairman  of  the  National  Board  for  Wildlife (NBWL);
- (d) the total land of the area important for wildlife, diverted by NBWL and its Standing Committee for linear and area based infrastructure projects like roads/hydro power in the last five years and the reasons therefor;
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  NBWL  to  prioritise  conservation  of  wildlife  and  forests  and  to contain illegal poaching and wildlife trade?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to  (d) The National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) is chaired by the Prime Minister. The  number  of  projects  considered  and  recommended  by  the  Standing Committee of the  National  board  for  Wild  Life  (SCNBWL)  during  last  five years is as follows:

|   S. No. | Year wise   |   No. of recommended projects |
|----------|-------------|-------------------------------|
|        1 | 2016-17     |                           126 |
|        2 | 2017-18     |                           220 |
|        3 | 2018-19     |                           153 |
|        4 | 2019-20     |                            71 |
|        5 | 2020-21     |                            81 |

The  SCNBWL,  which  comprises  of  both  official  and  expert  members, considers and takes informed decisions on proposals received in the Ministry based  on  the  recommendations  of  Chief  Wild  Life  Warden,  State  Board  for Wild Life and State Government

- (e) Government has been considering matters pertaining to conservation and protection  of  wildlife  and  their  habitats.  Important  matters  considered include the following:
- i. Conservation of Vultures through ban on diclofenac
- ii. Creation of Eco-Sensitive Zones around National Parks and Sanctuaries
- iii. Constitution of Tiger Task Force for review and management of Tiger Reserves
- iv. Setting up of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
- v. Developing a framework for involving the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in conservation of wildlife and international cooperation.
- vi. Need for curbing illegal trade in wildlife
- vii. Training  of  veterinary  doctors  required  for  treatment  of wildlife
- viii. Need for enhancing funds under Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats for taking up species recovery programmes
- ix. Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats under the on-going Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats'  for  focused  conservation action  on  22  identified  critically  endangered  species  including Humpback whale, Snow leopard, Hangul, Sangai deer, Marine turtle, Bustards, Red Panda, Nicobar Megapode, Jerdon's Courser, Caracal and vultures.
- x. Implementation of guidelines named, ' Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure on Wild Life ',
- xi. Action Plan for Vulture Conservation,
- xii. National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031),
- xiii. Conservation of Gangetic River Dolphin,
- xiv. Advisory on Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation,
- xv. Monitoring implementation of terms and conditions of recommendation of SCNBWL,
- xvi. Directions  to  States/UTs  to  comply  with  Sustainable  Sand Mining  Management  Guidelines,  2016  and  Enforcement  and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020,
- xvii. Advisories to States/UTs for expansion of protected area network.

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