Lok Sabha Question No. 2062 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Elephant Reserves
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Anubhav Mohanty

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2062

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## Elephant Reserves

## 2062.   SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY:

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

- (a) the details of the total number of Elephant Reserves in the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether Elephant Reserves are not recognized  under any law, if  so,  whether the Government plans to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 or the Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986,  thereby  promising  greater  standards  of protection of elephant habitat and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government plans on restricting destructive activities such as mining, and oil and gas drilling within Elephant Reserves, if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of budgetary allocation during the last three years for Project Elephant and whether the budget serves an effective purpose for the protection of elephants?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) The State-wise details of Elephant Reserves in the country are enclosed as Annexure.
- (b)&(c)  Elephant  Reserves  overlap  with  Tiger  Reserves,  Wildlife  Sanctuaries  and  Reserved Forests which are protected under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Indian Forest Act, 1927 and other State local Acts. The activities are regulated as per existing Acts, Rules and Guidelines.
- (d)  The Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Project Elephant' (CSS-PE) is helpful in protection and  conservation  of  elephants.    The  budgetary  allocations  to  the  CSS-PE  in  the  last three years are as follows:

Rs. In Lakhs

| Project Elephant   |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |
|--------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Budget Estimate    |      3000 |      3500 |      3300 |      3500 |
| Revised Estimate   |      3304 |      2500 |      3200 |      3200 |

ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2062  RAISED  BY  SHRI  ANUBHAV  MOHANTY REGARDING 'ELEPHANT RESERVES' DUE FOR REPLY ON 19.12.2022.

## ELEPHANT RESERVES IN INDIA

| Sl. No   | Elephant Range                                              |   Name of | Elephant Reserve            | State            |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------|------------------|
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         1 | Mayurjharna ER              | West Bengal      |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         2 | Singhbhum ER                | Jharkhand        |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         3 | Mayurbhanj ER               | Orissa           |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         4 | Mahanadi ER                 | Orissa           |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         5 | Sambalpur ER                | Orissa           |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         6 | Badalkhol-Tamorpingla       | Chhattisgarh     |
| I        | Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa)         |         7 | Lemru Elephant Reserve      | Chhattisgarh     |
| II       | North Brahamputra (Arunachal - Assam)                       |         8 | Kameng ER                   | Arunachal        |
| II       | North Brahamputra (Arunachal - Assam)                       |         9 | Sonitpur ER                 | Assam            |
| III      | South Brahamputra (Assam- Arunachal)                        |        10 | Dihing-Patkai ER            | Assam            |
| III      | South Brahamputra (Assam- Arunachal)                        |        11 | South Arunachal ER          | ArunachalPradesh |
| IV       | Kaziranga (Assam- Nagaland)                                 |        12 | Kaziranga - KarbiAnglong ER | Assam            |
| IV       | Kaziranga (Assam- Nagaland)                                 |        13 | Dhansiri-Lungding ER        | Assam            |
| IV       | Kaziranga (Assam- Nagaland)                                 |        14 | Intanki ER                  | Nagaland         |
| IV       | Kaziranga (Assam- Nagaland)                                 |        15 | Singphan ER                 | Nagaland         |
| V        | Eastern Dooars (Assam- W. Bengal)                           |        16 | Chirang-Ripu ER             | Assam            |
| V        | Eastern Dooars (Assam- W. Bengal)                           |        17 | Eastern Dooars ER           | W. Bengal        |
| VI       | E. Himalayas (Meghalaya)                                    |        18 | Garo Hills ER               | Meghalaya        |
| VII      | Nilgiri -Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra) |        19 | Mysore ER                   | Karnataka        |
| VII      | Nilgiri -Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra) |        20 | Dandeli ER                  | Karnataka        |
| VII      | Nilgiri -Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra) |        21 | Wayanad ER                  | Kerala           |
| VII      | Nilgiri -Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra) |        22 | Nilgiri ER                  | Tamil Nadu       |
| VII      | Nilgiri -Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra) |        23 | Rayala ER                   | Andhra           |
| VIII     | South Nilgiri (Kerala- Tamilnadu)                           |        24 | Nilambur ER                 | Kerala           |
| VIII     | South Nilgiri (Kerala- Tamilnadu)                           |        25 | Coimbatore ER               | Tamil Nadu       |
| IX       | Western Ghat (Tamilnadu- Kerala)                            |        26 | Anamalai ER                 | Tamil Nadu       |
| IX       | Western Ghat (Tamilnadu- Kerala)                            |        27 | Anamudi ER                  | Kerala           |
| IX       | Western Ghat (Tamilnadu- Kerala)                            |        28 | Agasthyamalai ER            | Tamil Nadu       |
| X        | Periyar (Kerala- Tamilnadu)                                 |        29 | Periyar                     | Kerala           |
| X        | Periyar (Kerala- Tamilnadu)                                 |        30 | Srivilliputtur ER           | Tamil Nadu       |
| XI       | Northern India (Uttaranchal-U.P.)                           |        31 | Shivalik ER                 | Uttarakhand      |
| XI       | Northern India (Uttaranchal-U.P.)                           |        32 | Uttar Pradesh ER            | Uttar Pradesh    |

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