Lok Sabha Question No. 3563 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-11
Subject: Climate Change Mitigation Efforts
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Smt. Rachna Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED Q. NO. 3563

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025

## Climate Change Mitigation Efforts

## 3563.   SMT. RACHNA BANERJEE:

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

- (a) the  measure  adopted  by  the  Government  to  ensure  the  proper  implementation  of environmental  regulations  and  the  Forest  Rights  Act  in  West  Bengal,  while  also considering  the  need  for  sustainable  livelihoods  for  coastal  communities  and  tribal populations;
- (b) the support provided by the Government for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in West Bengal, especially for vulnerable regions like the Sundarbans; and
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to address transboundary environmental concerns?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  Environmental  regulations  across  the  country,  including  the  State  of  West  Bengal  are implemented  through  Environment  Departments  of  States/  UTs,  State  Pollution  Control Boards/Pollution  Control  Committees,  Coastal  Zone Management  Authorities and Regional Offices of the Ministry. Defined areas in Coastal stretches are declared as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)/Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) to conserve and protect coastal and marine ecosystems.  CRZ/ICRZ  clearance  is  granted  after  due  appraisal  and  incorporation  of safeguards, including measures for sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities. Critically Vulnerable  Coastal Areas  (CVCAs),  such as  the Sundarbans  in  West Bengal, are  protected under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and managed with active involvement of coastal communities for sustaining livelihoods. As per information received from Ministry of Tribal Affairs the provisions of 'Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006' and Rules made thereunder, the State Governments are responsible for  implementation  of  various  provisions  of  the  Forest  Rights  Act  (FRA),  which  is  being implemented in 20 States (including West Bengal) and 1 UT. Ministry of Tribal Affairs under scheme of Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA- JGUA), has inter alia included several initiatives and setting up dedicated FRA cells at the State and district/subdivision levels and  through  convergence  with  several  schemes  of  Department  of  Agriculture,  Animal

Husbandry and Fisheries where the respective scheme guidelines have been modified to limit the beneficiary contribution wherever needed to only 10 %.

(b) National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) has sanctioned 30 projects across 27 States and UTs, including West Bengal, with a total approved cost of Rs 847.48 crore.

Under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for critical gap funding to implement air quality improvement measures, an amount of Rs. 1313.21 crore has been provided to West Bengal for implementation of city action plans in six cities namely, Asansol, Kolkata Urban Agglomeration (including Howrah and Barrackpore), Haldia and Durgapur.

Under Centrally sponsored scheme the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) for Conservation and Management of Wetlands, an amount of Rs. 16.91 crore has been released  from  2003-04  to  2019-20  to  the  Govt.  of  West  Bengal  for  conservation  and management of Sundarbans wetland for activities like wetland mapping, restocking of aquatic fauna, habitat improvement, alternate livelihood development activities, public awareness and monitoring & research.

An amount of Rs. 88.514 lakhs was released for Sundarbans to West Bengal under the National Coastal Mission during the financial year 2022-23.

(c)    Government  of  India  has  notified  the  Hazardous  and  Other  Wastes  (Management  and Transboundary  Movement)  Rules,  2016,  under  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to ensure safe storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner.  The import/export of hazardous and other waste is regulated thorough the said Rules. India  has  ratified  the  Basel  Convention,  which  mandates  Prior  Informed  Consent  (PIC)  for movement of hazardous wastes, and the Rotterdam Convention, which regulates international trade  in  certain  hazardous  chemicals  and  pesticides,  enabling  Parties  to  permit,  restrict  or prohibit their import. Transboundary concerns related to climate change, are addressed through the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC)  comprising  nine  sector-specific missions, implemented by respective Nodal Ministries/Departments. All these Missions focus on strategies to combat the adverse impacts of climate change in the Country, including in West Bengal. West Bengal has adopted State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) 2021-30 as a roadmap aiming for a carbon-neutral State.

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