Lok Sabha Question No. 39 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Mitesh Rameshbhai (Bakabhai) Patel, Shardaben Anilbhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 39

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2023

## Biological Diversity Act, 2002

## 39. SHRI MITESH RAMESHBHAI PATEL (BAKABHAI): SHRIMATI SHARDABEN ANILBHAI PATEL:

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

- (a) the  number  of  Biodiversity  Heritage  Sites  notified  as  per  Section  37  of  Biological Diversity Act, 2002;
- (b) the  details  of  the  sites  which  are  notified  because  of  rich  wealth  of  agro-diversity contained therein, as is the case with several pockets in the country;
- (c) whether the Government has any plan for selecting and notifying more such sites to protect rich heritage of agro-diversity;
- (d) whether the Government has any schemes to support farmers who are engaged in seed conservation work; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a), (b) & (c) Biodiversity  Heritage  Site  is  a  unique  conservation  approach  recognised under  the  Section  37  of  the  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002.  Biodiversity Heritage  Sites  have  rich  biodiversity  with  wild  as  well  as  domesticated species;  high  endemism;  rare  and  threatened  species,  keystone  species, species of evolutionary significance, wild ancestors of domesticated/ cultivated species; fossil beds; cultural, ethical or aesthetic values  for maintaining cultural diversity, with or without long human association with them.

As  per  Section  37  (1)  of  the  Biological  Diversity  Act,2002  the  State Government  may,  from  time  to  time  in  consultation  with  the  local  bodies, notify in the Official Gazette, of areas of biodiversity importance  as Biodiversity Heritage Sites.

So  far  forty-four  (44)  Biodiversity  Heritage  Sites  have  been  notified  by sixteen (16) states. The details of these sites are at Annexure.

- (d) & (e) The  Government  of  India  is  creating  awareness  on  conservation  of  plant

genetic resources including seeds of farmers' varieties and landraces through the schemes like Tribal Sub-Plan, North-Eastern Hill Region and Scheduled Caste  Sub  Plan.  A  total  of  233  most  potential  varieties  of  different  crops identified by farmers are being conserved through on-farm cultivation, value chain  and  marketing  involving  Self  Help  Groups  and  Farmer  Producer Organizations (in seven states including Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources - Indian Council for Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

Besides above, under section  39(1) (iv) of the Protection  of Plant Varieties and  Farmers'  Rights  Authority  (PPVFR)  Act,  2001,  the  PPVFR  Authority annually  confers  awards,  rewards,  and  recognitions  to  farmers  (s)/farming communities who  are involved in the conservation of Plant Genetic Resources.

The  Plant  Genome  Saviour  Community  award  is  awarded  to  five  farming communities  and  each  award  amounts  to  Rs.  10.00  lakhs  along  with  a citation. The Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Reward is awarded to ten farmers and  each  reward  amounts  to  Rs.  1.50  lakhs.  The  Plant  Genome  Saviour Farmer Recognition is awarded to twenty farmers with Rs. 1.00 lakh each.

So  far,  41  Plant  Genome  Saviour  Community  Awards,  67  Plant  Genome Saviour Farmer Rewards, and 84 Plant Genome Saviour Farmer recognition were conferred.

*****

## Annexure

|   S. No. | Name of Biodiversity Heritage Site               |   Area (ha) | District &State                 |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | Majuli River Island                              |   87500     | Majuli, Assam                   |
|        2 | Borjuli Wild Rice Site                           |       0.41  | Sonitpur, Assam                 |
|        3 | Hajong Tortoise Lake                             |     526.78  | Dima Hasao, Assam               |
|        4 | Purvatali Rai                                    |       0.73  | North Goa, Goa                  |
|        5 | Sacred Grove at Sural Bhatori Monastery          |       0.6   | Chamba, Himachal Pradesh        |
|        6 | High Altitude Meadow, Hudan Bhatori              |       8.74  | Chamba, Himachal Pradesh        |
|        7 | Birch-pine Forest Patch, Nain Gahar              |      12.22  | Lahaul& Spiti, Himachal Pradesh |
|        8 | Nallur tamarind groves                           |      21.85  | Bengaluru, Karnataka            |
|        9 | Hogrekan                                         |    1015     | Chikmagalur, Karnataka          |
|       10 | University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus |     167     | Bengaluru, Karnataka            |
|       11 | Ambaragudda                                      |    3857.17  | Shimoga, Karnataka              |
|       12 | Asramam                                          |      57.33  | Kollam, Karnataka               |
|       13 | Naro Hills                                       |     200     | Satna, Madhya Pradesh           |
|       14 | Patalkot                                         |    8367.49  | Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh      |
|       15 | Amarkantak                                       |    7681.5   | Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh      |
|       16 | Glory of Allapallii                              |       6     | Gadchiroli                      |
|       17 | Bambarde Myristica Swamps                        |       2.59  | Dodamarg, Maharastra            |
|       18 | Ganeshkhind Garden                               |      33.01  | Pune, Maharastra                |
|       19 | Landorkhori                                      |       8.08  | Jalgaon, Maharastra             |
|       20 | Schistura hiranyakeshi                           |       2.11  | Sindhudurg, Maharastra          |
|       21 | Dialong Village                                  |    1135     | Tamenglong, Manipur             |
|       22 | Khlaw Kur Syiem Kmielng                          |      16.05  | Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya              |
|       23 | Mandasaru                                        |     528     | Kandhamalc                      |
|       24 | Mahendragiri                                     |    4250     | Gajapati Maharastra             |
|       25 | Gandhamardan Hill                                |   18964     | Bolangir and Bargarh Maharastra |
|       26 | Tungkyong Dho                                    |       0.065 | North Sikkim, Sikkim            |

*****

|   27. | Arittapatti                                         | 193.215   | Madurai, Tamil Nadu          |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------|------------------------------|
|    28 | Ameenpur Lake                                       | 229.05    | Sangareddy, Telangana        |
|    29 | Gharial Rehabilitation Centre                       | 10        | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh       |
|    30 | Baramura waterfall                                  | 150       | Khowai, Tripura              |
|    31 | Unakoti                                             | 40        | Unakoti, Tripura             |
|    32 | Silachari Caves                                     | 100       | Gomati, Tripura              |
|    33 | Debbari or Chabimura                                | 215       | Gomati, Tripura              |
|    34 | Betlingshib and its surroundings Tonglu             | 350       | North district, Tripura      |
|    35 | Tonglu                                              | 230       | Darjeeling, West Bengal      |
|    36 | Dhotrey                                             | 180       | Darjeeling, West Bengal      |
|    37 | Chilkigarh Kanak Durga                              | 22.62     | Jhargram, West Bengal        |
|    38 | State Horticulture Research and Development Station | 39.61     | Nadia, West Bengal           |
|    39 | Char Balidanga                                      | 46.862    | Nadia, West Bengal           |
|    40 | Amkhoi Wood Fossil Park                             | 10 0.667  | Birbhum, West Bengal         |
|    41 | Baneswar Shiva Dighi                                | 0.667     | Cooch behar. West Bengal     |
|    42 | Namthing Pokhari                                    | 4.819     | Darjeeling, West Bengal      |
|    43 | Birampur-Baguran Jalpai                             | 95.91     | Purba Medinipur, West Bengal |
|    44 | Haldir Char Island                                  | 4.73      | Purba Medinipur, West Bengal |