Lok Sabha Question No. 76 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Protection of Endangered Species
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 76

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Protection of Endangered Species

## 76. SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

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

- (a) the  details  of  efforts  made  by  the  Government  during  the  last  five  years  to  protect endangered species in  the country  including  conservation  programs, sanctuaries  and habitat restoration projects;
- (b) the data on population trends of endangered species across the country especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise and species and region-wise along with the changes recorded during the last five years;
- (c) the funds allocated and utilised for endangered species conservation including support for  wildlife  reserves,  anti-poaching  efforts,  and  community  awareness  programs, especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise;
- (d) the details of collaborations between the Government, NGOs, international organisations or private entities focused on endangered species conservation including objectives and outcomes thereof; and
- (e) the  statistics  on  poaching  and  illegal  wildlife  trade  involving  endangered  species during the last five years in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise along with the actions taken and penalties enforced in this regard, species and region-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) The  Government  has taken  a  number  of  steps  for  protection  and  conservation  of  wildlife. Important measures include:
- i. Creation  of  Protected  Areas  (National  Parks,  Sanctuaries,  Community  Reserves and Conservation Reserves) under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, for conservation of wildlife and its habitat.
- ii. Eco-Sensitive Zones are notified around National Parks and Sanctuaries in order to  strengthen  conservation  of  wildlife,  under  the  provisions  of  the  Environment (Protection) Act,1986.
- iii. Rare and endangered species of animals have been listed in the schedules-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, thereby providing them highest degree of protection.
- iv. Financial  assistance  to  States/UTs  including  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh  under  the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of 'Project Tiger and Elephant' and 'Development of Wildlife habitats'.
- v. Species  recovery  programme  for  22  identified  critically  endangered  species  is supported  under  Centrally  Sponsored  scheme  of  'Development  of  Wildlife Habitats'.
- vi. Wild  Life  Crime  Control  Bureau  has  been  set  up  to  gather  intelligence  about illegal wildlife trade in wild animals and animal articles and to achieve interstate and trans boundary coordination in enforcement of wildlife laws.
- (b) Population estimation of tiger and leopard is undertaken at the national level once every four years. Details of the population of tigers and leopards in last two assessments are placed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.
- (c) The  Details  of  funds  released  to  States/UTs  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of 'Project Tiger  and Elephant', and 'Development  of  Wildlife  habitats' are placed at Annexure-III and Annexure-IV respectively.
- (d )) India is party to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Convention on Conservation of Migratory species of Wild Animals, International Whaling  Commission,  World  Heritage  Convention  and  is  implementing  obligation  under these  conventions.  In  addition,  Ministry  is  also  implementing  Global  Environment  Facility (GEF) funded projects in collaboration with GEF agencies.
- (e) As informed by the State of Andhra Pradesh, details of poaching and illegal wildlife trade involving endangered species since 2020-21 is as below:

| Sl. No.            | Year               | District/Division   | Name of the species   |   No. of Poaching/Illegal Wildlife trade |
|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1                  | 2020-21            | Rajahmundry         | Leopard               |                                        1 |
| 1                  | 2020-21            | Kurnool             | Black Bucks           |                                        2 |
| 2                  | 2021-22            | Kurnool             | Black Bucks           |                                        1 |
| 3                  | 2022-23            | Kurnool             | Black Bucks           |                                       12 |
| 4                  | 2023-24            | Guntur              | Tiger                 |                                        1 |
| 5                  | 2024-25            | Chittoor            | Leopard               |                                        1 |
| Total No. of Cases | Total No. of Cases | Total No. of Cases  | Total No. of Cases    |                                       18 |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 76 due for reply on 25.11.2024 regarding 'Protection of Endangered Species'

## Details of population estimation of tigers in India

| State                                        | Tiger Population                             | Tiger Population                             |
|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|                                              | 2018                                         | 2022                                         |
| Shivalik Hills &Gangetic Plain Landscape     | Shivalik Hills &Gangetic Plain Landscape     | Shivalik Hills &Gangetic Plain Landscape     |
| Bihar                                        | 31                                           | 54                                           |
| Uttarakhand                                  | 442                                          | 560                                          |
| Uttar Pradesh                                | 173                                          | 205                                          |
| Shivalik Gangetic                            | 646                                          | 819**                                        |
| Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats   | Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats   | Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats   |
| Andhra Pradesh                               | 48                                           | 63                                           |
| Telangana                                    | 26                                           | 21                                           |
| Chhattisgarh                                 | 19                                           | 17                                           |
| Jharkhand                                    | 5                                            | 1*                                           |
| Madhya Pradesh                               | 526                                          | 785                                          |
| Maharashtra                                  | 312                                          | 444                                          |
| Odisha                                       | 28                                           | 20                                           |
| Rajasthan                                    | 69                                           | 99                                           |
| Central India& Eastern Ghats                 | 1033                                         | 1439                                         |
| Western Ghats Landscape                      | Western Ghats Landscape                      | Western Ghats Landscape                      |
| Goa                                          | 3                                            | 5                                            |
| Karnataka                                    | 524                                          | 563                                          |
| Kerala                                       | 190                                          | 213                                          |
| Tamil Nadu                                   | 264                                          | 306                                          |
| Western Ghats                                | 981                                          | 1087                                         |
| Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra flood Plains | Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra flood Plains | Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra flood Plains |
| Arunachal Pradesh                            | 29#                                          | 9                                            |

| Assam                            |   190 |   229 |
|----------------------------------|-------|-------|
| Nagaland                         |     0 |     0 |
| Northern West Bengal             |     0 |     2 |
| North East Hills and Brahmaputra |   219 |   236 |
| Sundarbans                       |    88 |   101 |
| TOTAL                            |  2967 |  3682 |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 76 due for reply on 25.11.2024 regarding 'Protection of Endangered Species'

## Estimated leopard numbers in each landscape from 2018 and 2022

| State                                        | 2018 Population   | 2022 Population   |
|----------------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Bihar                                        | 98                | 86                |
| Uttarakhand                                  | 839               | 652               |
| Uttar Pradesh                                | 316               | 371               |
| Shivalik Hills& Gangetic Plains              | 1253              | 1109              |
| Andhra Pradesh                               | 492               | 569               |
| Telangana                                    | 334               | 297               |
| Chhattisgarh                                 | 852               | 722               |
| Jharkhand                                    | 46                | 51                |
| Madhya Pradesh                               | 3421              | 3907              |
| Maharashtra                                  | 1690              | 1985              |
| Odisha                                       | 760               | 568               |
| Rajasthan                                    | 476               | 721               |
| Central India& Eastern Ghats                 | 8071              | 8820              |
| Goa                                          | 86                | 77                |
| Karnataka                                    | 1783              | 1879              |
| Kerala                                       | 650               | 570               |
| Tamil Nadu                                   | 868               | 1070              |
| Western Ghats                                | 3387              | 3596              |
| Arunachal Pradesh                            | 11                | 42                |
| Assam                                        | 47                | 74                |
| Northern West Bengal                         | 83                | 233               |
| North East Hills and Brahmaputra Floodplains | 141               | 349               |
| TOTAL                                        | 12,852            | 13,874            |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 76 due for reply on 25.11.2024 regarding 'Protection of Endangered Species'

Details of funds released to State/ UT Governments under CSS-'Project Tiger and Elephant' during last five years. (₹. in lakhs)

| Sl. No.   | State             | 2019-20        | 2019-20           | 2020-21        | 2020-21          | 2021-22       | 2021-22           | 2022-23       | 2022-23           | 2023-24                   |
|-----------|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|----------------|------------------|---------------|-------------------|---------------|-------------------|---------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | State             | Projec t Tiger | Project Elephan t | Projec t Tiger | Project Elephant | Project Tiger | Project Elepha nt | Project Tiger | Project Elepha nt | *Project Tiger& Elephan t |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 114.48         | 127.03            | 266.51         | 77.28            | 292.11        | 20.5565           | 0.00          | 0.00              | 149.421                   |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh | 846.31         | 103.268 31        | 803.76         | 282.256          | 869.08        | 157.761 5         | 0.00          | 26.8875           | 1119.914 5                |
| 3         | Assam             | 2198.7 6       | -                 | 2513.9 0       | 35.284           | 1476.75       | 126.716           | 336.22        | 167.4             | 2619.307 84               |
| 4         | Bihar             | 562.84         | 57.0275 2         | 628.89         | 39.08            | 552.72        | -                 | 0.00          | 0.00              | 308.9825                  |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      | 358.53         | -                 | 471.16         | -                | 355.85        | 24.785            | 82.88         | 0.00              | 292.855                   |
| 6         | Haryana           | 0.00           | 16.80             | 0.00           | 11.04            | 0.00          | 4.2345            | 0.00          | 17.4              | 26.1                      |
| 7         | Himachal Pradesh  | 0.00           | 0.00              | 0.00           | 0.00             | 0.00          | 0.00              | 0.00          | 0.00              | 19.61                     |
| 8         | Jharkhand         | 1432.0 7       | 161.444 38        | 128.45         | 111.86522        | 195.06        | 86.682            | 17.26         | 78.05             | 405.785                   |
| 9         | Karnataka         | 2252.0 3       | 412.482 39        | 2118.0 1       | 330.40376        | 2956.70       | 261.195           | 235.24        | 97.8453           | 2613.083 4                |
| 10        | Kerala            | 607.07         | 432.132           | 402.88         | 574.56           | 868.78        | 580.967 65        | 417.59        | 270.09            | 996.2242 5                |
| 11        | Madhya Pradesh    | 3501.9 1       | 13.695            | 2551.2 6       | -                | 3523.52       | 12.613            | 1172.51       | 11.388            | 4303.794                  |
| 12        | Maharashtra       | 7220.3 9       | 44.1944           | 3098.0 3       | 17.98            | 2991.06       | -                 | 0.00          | 28.524            | 2614.451 67               |
| 13        | Manipur           | 0.00           | 10.944            | 0.00           | -                | 0.00          | 5.40              | 0.00          | 0.00              | 14.121                    |
| 14        | Meghalaya         | 0.00           | 177.897 6         | 0.00           | 9.36             | 0.00          | 141.75            | 0.00          | 32.14             | 65.25                     |
| 15        | Mizoram           | 337.70         | -                 | 161.53         | -                | 374.13        | -                 | 0.00          | 0.00              | 144                       |
| 16        | Nagaland          | 0.00           | 213.949 8         | 0.00           | 92.50            | 0.00          | 279.759           | 0.00          | 235.575           | 337.77                    |
| 17        | Odisha            | 1303.3 2       | 387.036           | 680.07         | 577.99           | 1056.86       | 567.045           | 190.27        | 212.769 5         | 1012.587 64               |
| 18        | Rajasthan         | 1203.1 9       | 35.28             | 1008.8 9       | -                | 841.05        | 15.18             | 0.00          | 6.18609           | 968.3004                  |
| 19        | Tamil Nadu        | 1586.9 1       | 275.157 6         | 1336.1 4       | -                | 1576.22       | 181.846 4         | 0.00          | 85.9405           | 2547.966 48               |
| 20        | Telangana         | 359.91         | -                 | 351.97         | -                | 543.26        | -                 | 0.00          | 0                 | 323.308                   |
| 21        | Tripura           | 0.00           | 45.38             | 0.00           | 24.71            | -             | -                 | 0.00          | 7.36516           | 27.0855                   |
| 22        | Uttarakhand       | 1242.4 9       | 417.312           | 1671.3 0       | 204.85           | 1463.71       | 244.123 75        | 0.00          | 18.7415           | 1495.524 1                |
| 23        | Uttar Pradesh     | 2289.1 8       | 37.74             | 923.29         | -                | 1304.85       | 45.993            | 0.00          | 9.858             | 1031.976 7                |
| 24        | West Bengal       | 758.47         | 113.254           | 333.96         | 64.1958          | 708.28        | 87.8717           | 0.00          | 30.05             | 522.5810 1                |
|           |                   | 28175. 56      | 3082.02 5         | 19450. 00      | 2453.355         | 21949.9 9     | 2844.48           | 2034.38       | 1336.21 1         | 23960                     |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Loks  Sabha Unstarred Question no. 76 due for reply on 25.11.2024 regarding 'Protection of Endangered Species'

Details of funds released to State/ UT Governments under CSS-'Development of Wildlife Habitats' during last five years.

## (₹. in lakhs)

| S. No.   | Name of States/UTs   |   2019-20 | 2020-21     |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|----------|----------------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | A&NIslands           |   132.64  | 0           |  135.77   |   25.125  |    0      |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh       |     0     | 0           |    0      |    0      |    0      |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh    |   512.69  | 312.5865    |  419.806  |  276.441  |  672.462  |
| 4        | Assam                |   164.26  | 0           |    0      |  209.146  |  565.108  |
| 5        | Bihar                |   148.142 | 205.1644    |  410.86   |    0      |  336.372  |
| 6        | Chandigarh           |     0     | 25.16       |    0      |   21.6241 |   16.498  |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh         |   310.032 | 104.35936   |  274.59   |  104.457  |  116.249  |
| 8        | Goa                  |   111.654 | 0           |    0      |    0      |   50.1    |
| 9        | Gujarat              |     0     | 124.5849    |    0      |  200.01   |  206.99   |
| 10       | Haryana              |   237.608 | 18.2212     |  127.331  |   30.1575 |  167.85   |
| 11       | Himachal Pradesh     |   375.766 | 187.63518   |  197.095  |  114.32   |   94.1533 |
| 12       | Jammu& Kashmir       |     0     | 80.62863    |    0      |    0      |   69.5797 |
| 13       | Jharkhand            |    93.96  | 198.2265    |   79.5332 |    0      |   14.9102 |
| 14       | Karnataka            |   739.046 | 586.126341  | 1256.59   |  291.711  |  581.523  |
| 15       | Kerala               |   845.026 | 731.2845    |  295.774  |  224.474  |  921.036  |
| 16       | Madhya Pradesh       |   629.266 | 801.60127   |  389.349  |  265.551  |  471.82   |
| 17       | Maharashtra          |   715.781 | 146.08135   |    0      |  350.388  |  554.696  |
| 18       | Manipur              |   396.455 | 241.11948.  |  142.506  |  180.644  |  231.724  |
| 19       | Meghalaya            |   238.839 | 263.50463   |  530.513  |    0      |  243.566  |
| 20       | Mizoram              |   431.79  | 339.60855   |  198.968  |  190.198  |  304.207  |
| 21       | Nagaland             |   953.69  | 260.00105   |  342.031  |  725.657  | 1306.33   |
| 22       | Odisha               |   701.504 | 694.18819   |  726.803  |  967.498  | 1005.09   |
| 23       | Rajasthan            |   741.315 | 309.12634   | 1007.65   |   86.7889 |    0      |
| 24       | Sikkim               |   557.355 | 349.623     |  182.972  |  239.66   |  187.032  |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu           |   409.505 | 334.0354    |  390.757  |  132.952  |  373.89   |
| 26       | Telangana            |     0     | 36.59304    |    0      |    0      |    0      |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh        |   426.251 | 312.9244    |  169.063  |  266.747  |  290.644  |
| 28       | Uttarakhand          |  1401.19  | 441.61031   |  226.344  |  212.966  |  498.497  |
| 29       | West Bengal          |   891.073 | 710.61953   |  757.256  |  201.309  |  385.3    |
| 30       | Puducherry           |     0     | 0           |    0      |    0      |    5.22   |
| 31       | Lakshadweep          |   193.272 | 462.859     |  462.086  |  269.906  |  124.655  |
| 32       | Delhi                |     0     | 0           |    0      |    0      |    0      |
| 33       | Tripura              |    90.317 | 260.679     |    0      |    0      |  186.055  |
| 34       | Ladakh UT            |     0     | 223.17292   |   31.95   |   61.1159 |    0.06   |
| Grand    | Total                | 12448.4   | 8761.324971 | 8755.6    | 5648.85   | 9981.61   |