Lok Sabha Question No. 2007 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: National Wetlands Conservation Programme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Nisith Pramanik, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Ganesh Singh, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2007

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021

## National Wetlands Conservation Programme

2007.  SHRI NISITH PRAMANIK: DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY: SHRI GANESH SINGH: SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

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

- (a)  the salient features of National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP);
- (b)  the  details  of  financial  assistance  provided  to  the  States/Union  Territories  under  the National  Wetlands  Conservation  Programme  for  conservation  and  management  of identified wetlands in the country during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the details of financial assistance  provided  to  the States/Union  Territories  under 'National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems' (NPCA);
- (d)  whether under the National Natural Resources Management System  (NNRMS) programme,  the  ISRO  has  carried  out  National  Wetland  Inventory  and  Assessment (NWIA) using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite if so, the details thereof along with the wetland sites identified, State/UT-wise;
- (e)whether the Government has created any data registry regarding the number of wetlands in the country; and
- (f)    if so, the details thereof, district-wise and State/ UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  had  been earlier  implementing  two  separate  programmes  namely,  National  Wetland  Conservation Programme  (NWCP)  and  National  Lake  Conservation  Plan  (NLCP)  for  conservation  of identified  wetlands  and  lakes  in  the  country.  Under  these  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes, financial assistance was provided to different States/Union Territories (UTs) for conservation and management of identified wetlands and lakes in the country.

To have better synergy and to avoid overlap, the NWCP has been merged in February, 2013 with NLCP into a new integrated scheme of 'National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems'  (NPCA)  for  holistic  conservation  of  wetlands  (includes  lakes),  which  is operational on cost sharing basis between the Central and State Governments. NPCA aims at holistic  conservation  and  restoration  of  wetlands  for  achieving  the  desired  water  quality enhancement, besides improvement in biodiversity and ecosystems through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach and a common regulatory framework. The scheme covers various activities  such  as  interception,  diversion  and  treatment  of  wastewater,  shoreline protection, lake front development, in-situ cleaning i.e. de-silting &  de-weeding, storm water management,  bioremediation,  catchment  area  treatment,  lake  beautification,  survey  & demarcation,  bio-fencing,  fisheries  development,  weed  control,  biodiversity  conservation, education and awareness creation, community participation etc.

The  details  of  financial  assistance  provided  to  the  States/UTs  under  NPCA  for conservation and management of wetlands in the country during the last three years and the current year are annexed.

(d) Yes,  Sir.  The  National  level  wetland  inventory  was  carried  out  through  Space Applications  Centre  (SAC),  Ahmedabad  of  ISRO  using  multi-date  IRS-LISS-III  Data  of 2006-07  timeframe  on  1:50,000  scale  under  project  'National  Wetland  Inventory  and Assessment  (NWIA)'.  The  mapping  was  carried  out  in  collaboration  with  State  Remote Sensing Applications Centres and Academic Institutes.

Total wetland area estimated is15.260 million hectares, which is around 4.63 per cent of thegeographic area of the country. Total 2,01,503 wetlandshave been mapped at 1:50,000 scale. In addition,5,55,557 small wetlands (<2.25 ha) have also beenidentified. The inventory of wetlands (State-wise/sorted on State code) etc. are available at http://moef.gov.in/division/environment-divisions/wetland/national-wetlands-inventoryassessment/

(e)  and  (f)  Vide  the  Wetlands  (Conservation  &  Management)  Rules,  2017, interalia ,  the State/UT Wetlands Authorities have been constituted and various powers and functions have been delegated to them for conservation and management of wetlands.The functions include preparation  of  a  list  and  a  comprehensive  digital  inventory  of  all  wetlands  of  the  State  or Union Territory.

***

Annexure Financial assistance (central share) provided to States/UTs during 2017-18 to 2020-21 (till January, 2021) for conservation and management of wetlands under NPCA (Amount in Rs. crores)

| S. No.   | State             | 2017-18   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   | 2020-21 (till January, 2021)   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------|
| 1        | Arunachal Pradesh | -         | -         | 1.21      | -                              |
| 2        | Bihar             | 3.60724   | 6.5965    | 0.79      | -                              |
| 3        | Gujarat           | -         | -         | 1.52      | -                              |
| 4        | Haryana           | 0.1320    | 1.4264    | 0.49      | -                              |
| 5        | H.P.              | 0.98989   | -         | 0.12      | -                              |
| 6        | Jammu& Kashmir    | 23.8201   | 0.86565   | 1.68      | -                              |
| 7        | Karnataka         | -         | -         | -         | -                              |
| 8        | Kerala            | 2.07075   | -         | -         | -                              |
| 9        | Madhya Pradesh    | 0.9240    | 4.24669   | 8.41      | 7.00                           |
| 10       | Manipur           | 0.9280    | 3.852     | -         | 6.81                           |
| 11       | Mizoram           | 0.9846    | 1.2153    | 1.92      | -                              |
| 12       | Maharashtra       | 8.74397   | 4.91942   | 3.90      | 8.1016420                      |
| 13       | Nagaland          | -         | 10        | 5.62      | 0.50                           |
| 14       | Odisha            | 6.1846    | 5.8072    | 4.10      | 0.67728                        |
| 15       | Puducherry        | 0.30      | 0.5       | 0.50      | -                              |
| 16       | Punjab            | -         | -         | -         | -                              |
| 17       | Rajasthan         | 1.54      | -         | -         | -                              |
| 18       | Sikkim            | 1.8374    | 3.11818   | 2.60      | -                              |
| 19.      | Tamil Nadu        | 1.05795   | 1.200884  | 1.37      | -                              |
| 19       | Tripura           | -         | -         | 3.13      | -                              |
| 20       | Uttar Pradesh     | 2.50      | 18.680276 | 2.93      | -                              |
| 21       | West Bengal       | -         | 0.9965    | 4.29      | -                              |
|          | Total             | 55.6205   | 63.425    | 44.58     | 23.088922                      |