Lok Sabha Question No. 5284 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-04
Subject: National Zoo Policy
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh, Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5284

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 04.04.2022

## National Zoo Policy

## 5284.   SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

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

- (a) whether the Government has recently drafted the National Zoo Policy in the Country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the funds allocated/released by the Government to the zoos across the country including Uttar Pradesh zoos;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  decision  to  cancel  the  licences  to  run  zoo  in various cities of the country including zoo in Uttar Pradesh;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the other corrective steps being taken by the Government for the betterment of zoos in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The  Central  Government  notified  the  National  Zoo  Policy,  1998  on  28 th October 1998.
- (b) Establishment  and  operation  of  zoos  is  the  responsibility  of  respective  zoo operators. The Central Zoo Authority provides financial assistance to zoos as per the Guidelines for prioritizing grant of financial assistance to zoos (2012). The  details  of  funds  released  by  the  Central  Zoo  Authority  to  zoos  in  the country, including zoos in Uttar Pradesh, are as under:
- (c) and (d) The  Central  Zoo  Authority  stipulates  conditions  for  recognition/renewal  of zoos and improvement of the operating conditions in the respective zoos. The recognition granted to a zoo may be cancelled by the Central Zoo Authority as per the provisions of section 38 H of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 if the  zoo  fails  to  comply  with  the  norms  specified  in  the  Recognition  of  Zoo Rules, 2009.

| Year      | Funds released (Rupees in lakhs)   | Funds released (Rupees in lakhs)   |
|-----------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|           | Zoos of Uttar Pradesh              | Zoos of the country                |
| 2019-2020 | Rs. 34.34 lakhs                    | Rs.499.83 lakhs                    |
| 2020-2021 | Rs.24.40 lakhs                     | Rs. 598.13 lakhs                   |
| 2021-2022 | Rs.15.18 lakhs                     | Rs.762.00 lakhs                    |

Details of zoos whose recognition was cancelled by the Central Zoo Authority during the period 2019-20 to 2021-22 are given below:

|   S.No. | Year      | State       | Name of the Zoo                        |
|---------|-----------|-------------|----------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2021-2022 | Karnataka   | Tungabhadra Mini Zoo, Hosapete         |
|       2 | 2021-2022 | Maharashtra | Mahatma Gandhi Zoo, Solapur            |
|       3 | 2021-2022 | Maharashtra | Snake Park, Dholgarwadi                |
|       4 | 2021-2022 | Tamil Nadu  | VOC Park Zoo, Coimbatore               |
|       5 | 2021-2022 | Telangana   | Deer Park-Kesoram Cement, Basanthnagar |

|   S.No. | Year    | State          | Name of the Zoo                          |
|---------|---------|----------------|------------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2020-21 | Gujarat        | Great Golden Circus                      |
|       2 | 2020-21 | Karnataka      | Children's Park cum Mini Zoo, Bellari    |
|       3 | 2020-21 | Odisha         | Municipal Corporation Deer Park, Cuttack |
|       4 | 2020-21 | Andhra Pradesh | GVKDeer Park, Jugurupadu                 |

|   S.No. | Year    | State   | Name of the Zoo   |
|---------|---------|---------|-------------------|
|       1 | 2019-20 | Nil     | Nil               |

- (e) The  other  corrective  measures  taken  up  by  the  Central  Zoo  Authority  from time to time for betterment of zoos include:
- i. Providing technical assistance for preparation of Master Plans for long-term development of zoos
- ii. Capacity building programmes for zoo personnel
- iii. Issuance of guidelines on various aspects of zoo management.

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