Lok Sabha Question No. 926 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Development of Sustainable Wildlife and Forest Tourism
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K, Shri C N Annadurai

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 926

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2025

## Development of Sustainable Wildlife and Forest Tourism

## 926. SHRI NAVASKANI K: SHRI C N ANNADURAI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is implementing any scheme to promote wildlife and forest tourism in the country and if so, the details thereof alongwith the scope of the same in the State of Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  tap  the  potential  and  promotion  of  the wildlife  and  forest  tourism  in  the  notified  Tiger  Reserves,  National  Parks  and Wildlife Sanctuaries within the country including said State;
- (c) whether  any  scheme  has  been  put  in  place  to  involve  local  communities  as stakeholders in the development of sustainable wildlife and forest tourism; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details thereof along  with  the funds  provided by the  Government for promoting  sustainable  wildlife  and  forest  tourism  during  the  last  three  years, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (d)

The Ministry provides financial assistance to States/UTs for conservation of wildlife and its habitats including for undertaking eco-tourism activities under the  Centrally  Sponsored  schemes  -  'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats', 'Project Tiger and Elephant' including in the State of Tamil Nadu.

The tourism activities in and around tiger reserves are carried out as per the National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority  (Normative  Standards  for  Tourism activities  and  Project  Tiger)  Guidelines,  2012  issued  by  the  Ministry  under section 38-O(1)(c) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  also  issued 'Guidelines  for  Sustainable  Ecotourism  in  Forest  and  Wildlife  Aeas-2021' which promotes the engagement of local communities in nature tourism in a manner  that  enriches  local  economy  and  encourages  sustainable  use  of indigenous materials through financially viable values chains.

The details of financial assistance provided to States/Union Territories under the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  -  'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat'  and Project  Tiger  and  Elephant'  are  placed  at Annexure  I and Annexure  II respectively .

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## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 926 due for reply on 10.02.2025 regarding 'Development of Sustainable Wildlife and Forest Tourism'

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

(₹. in lakhs)

| S. No.   | Name of States/UTs   |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|----------|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | A& N Islands         |  135.77   |   25.125  |    0      |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh    |  419.806  |  276.441  |  672.462  |
| 3        | Assam                |    0      |  209.146  |  565.108  |
| 4        | Bihar                |  410.86   |    0      |  336.372  |
| 5        | Chandigarh           |    0      |   21.6241 |   16.498  |
| 6        | Chhattisgarh         |  274.59   |  104.457  |  116.249  |
| 7        | Goa                  |    0      |    0      |   50.1    |
| 8        | Gujarat              |    0      |  200.01   |  206.99   |
| 9        | Haryana              |  127.331  |   30.1575 |  167.85   |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh     |  197.095  |  114.32   |   94.1533 |
| 11       | Jammu &Kashmir       |    0      |    0      |   69.5797 |
| 12       | Jharkhand            |   79.5332 |    0      |   14.9102 |
| 13       | Karnataka            | 1256.59   |  291.711  |  581.523  |
| 14       | Kerala               |  295.774  |  224.474  |  921.036  |
| 15       | Madhya Pradesh       |  389.349  |  265.551  |  471.82   |
| 16       | Maharashtra          |    0      |  350.388  |  554.696  |
| 17       | Manipur              |  142.506  |  180.644  |  231.724  |
| 18       | Meghalaya            |  530.513  |    0      |  243.566  |
| 19       | Mizoram              |  198.968  |  190.198  |  304.207  |
| 20       | Nagaland             |  342.031  |  725.657  | 1306.33   |
| 21       | Odisha               |  726.803  |  967.498  | 1005.09   |
| 22       | Rajasthan            | 1007.65   |   86.7889 |    0      |
| 23       | Sikkim               |  182.972  |  239.66   |  187.032  |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu           |  390.757  |  132.952  |  373.89   |
| 25       | Uttar Pradesh        |  169.063  |  266.747  |  290.644  |
| 26       | Uttarakhand          |  226.344  |  212.966  |  498.497  |
| 27       | West Bengal          |  757.256  |  201.309  |  385.3    |
| 28       | Puducherry           |    0      |    0      |    5.22   |
| 29       | Lakshadweep          |  462.086  |  269.906  |  124.655  |
| 30       | Tripura              |    0      |    0      |  186.055  |
| 31       | Ladakh UT            |   31.95   |   61.1159 |    0.06   |
|          | Grand Total          | 8755.6    | 5648.85   | 9981.61   |

Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 926 due for reply on 10.02.2025 regarding 'Development of Sustainable Wildlife and Forest Tourism'

## Details of funds released to State/ UT Governments under CSS-'Project Tiger and Elephant' during last three years

(₹. in lakhs)

| Sl.   | State             | 2021-22       | 2021-22          | 2022-23       | 2022-23          | 2023-24                  |
|-------|-------------------|---------------|------------------|---------------|------------------|--------------------------|
| No.   |                   | Project Tiger | Project Elephant | Project Tiger | Project Elephant | *Project Tiger& Elephant |
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh    | 292.11        | 20.5565          | 0.00          | 0.00             | 149.421                  |
| 2     | Arunachal Pradesh | 869.08        | 157.7615         | 787.19        | 26.8875          | 1119.9145                |
| 3     | Assam             | 1476.75       | 126.716          | 2559.78       | 167.4            | 2619.3078                |
| 4     | Bihar             | 552.72        | 0.00             | 246.90        | 0.00             | 308.9825                 |
| 5     | Chhattisgarh      | 355.85        | 24.785           | 165.75        | 0.00             | 292.855                  |
| 6     | Haryana           | 0.00          | 4.2345           | 0.00          | 17.4             | 26.1                     |
| 7     | Himachal Pradesh  | 0.00          | 0.00             | 0.00          | 0.00             | 19.61                    |
| 8     | Jharkhand         | 195.06        | 86.682           | 227.75        | 78.05            | 405.785                  |
| 9     | Karnataka         | 2956.70       | 261.195          | 1716.92       | 97.8453          | 2613.0834                |
| 10    | Kerala            | 868.78        | 580.96765        | 417.59        | 270.09           | 996.22425                |
| 11    | Madhya Pradesh    | 3523.52       | 12.613           | 3956.88       | 11.388           | 4303.794                 |
| 12    | Maharashtra       | 2991.06       | 0.00             | 809.62        | 28.524           | 2614.4517                |
| 13    | Manipur           | 0.00          | 5.40             | 0.00          | 0.00             | 14.121                   |
| 14    | Meghalaya         | 0.00          | 141.75           | 0.00          | 32.14            | 65.25                    |
| 15    | Mizoram           | 374.13        | 0.00             | 78.75         | 0.00             | 144                      |
| 16    | Nagaland          | 0.00          | 279.759          | 0.00          | 235.575          | 337.77                   |
| 17    | Odisha            | 1056.86       | 567.045          | 946.82        | 212.7695         | 1012.5876                |
| 18    | Rajasthan         | 841.05        | 15.18            | 529.78        | 6.18609          | 968.3004                 |
| 19    | Tamil Nadu        | 1576.22       | 181.8464         | 501.35        | 85.9405          | 2547.9665                |
| 20    | Telangana         | 543.26        | 0.00             | 0.00          | 0.00             | 323.308                  |
| 21    | Tripura           | 0.00          | 0.00             | 0.00          | 7.36516          | 27.0855                  |
| 22    | Uttarakhand       | 1463.71       | 244.12375        | 741.13        | 18.7415          | 1495.5241                |
| 23    | Uttar Pradesh     | 1304.85       | 45.993           | 919.96        | 9.858            | 1031.9767                |
| 24    | West Bengal       | 708.28        | 87.8717          | 458.77        | 30.05            | 522.58101                |
|       |                   | 21949.99      | 2844.48          | 15064.94      | 1336.211         | 23960                    |

*Centrally Sponsored Scheme Project Elephant and Centrally Sponsored Scheme Project Tiger have been merged and now known as Centrally Sponsored Scheme Project Tiger & Elephant

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