Lok Sabha Question No. 1644 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Ramsar Sites in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thiru Dr. S Jagathratchakan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1644

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## Ramsar Sites in Tamil Nadu

## 1644.  SHRI S JAGATHRATCHAKAN:

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

- (a) the details of the allocation of funds for the protection of Ramsar sites in the country during the last five years, State-wise and year-wise including Tamil Nadu; and
- (b) whether the initiatives taken by the Government have been successful in addressing the degradation faced by the Ramsar sites in the country, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Under  the  scheme  of  'National  Plan  for  Conservation  of  Aquatic  Eco-systems (NPCA)', financial assistance (central share) of Rs. 44.84 crores was provided to the respective States/UTs including Tamil Nadu during last five years for conservation and management of 27  Ramsar  sites.  The  State/UT-wise  and  year-wise  details  of  these  funds  are  given  in  the Annexure.
- (b) In addition to implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme of NPCA, the Ministry of Environment, Forest &  Climate Change  (MoEF&CC)  has  notified the Wetlands (Conservation  and  Management)  Rules,  2017  under  the  provisions  of  the  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986  as  a  regulatory  framework  for  the  conservation  and  management  of wetlands (including Ramsar Sites) across the country. These Rules inter-alia, prohibit the solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated wastes and effluents.

In order to promote the unique conservation values of Ramsar Sites, MoEF&CC has launched the Amrit Dharohar Initiative in 2023. The key components are Species and Habitat Conservation,  Nature  Tourism,  Wetlands  Livelihoods  and  Wetlands  Carbon  Assessment. Various initiatives under Amrit Dharohar such as Floral and Faunal inventory of Ramsar Sites published by BSI and ZSI respectively, Training Module for Nature Guides under the Green Skill Development Programme, Training of 196 local community members as nature guides in collaboration  with  Ministry of  Tourism and series of educational videos developed through NCERT have helped in equipping the stakeholders for better conservation and management of Ramsar sites.

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Annexure Annexure referred to in  reply  to  part  (a)  of Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Q.  No.  1644  to  be answered on Monday, the 10 th  March 2025 on 'Ramsar Sites in Tamil Nadu' (Amount in Rs. lakhs)

|     | State/UT          | 2019-20   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   |
|-----|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1.  | Andhra Pradesh    | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 2.  | Assam             | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 3.  | Bihar             | 43.754    | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 4.  | Gujarat           | 114.558   | -         | -         | -         | 20.58     |
| 5.  | Goa               | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 6.  | Haryana           | 48.63     | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 7.  | Himachal Pradesh  | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 8.  | Jammu and Kashmir | 36.00     | -         | -         | 900.00    | -         |
| 9.  | Jharkhand         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 10. | Karnataka         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 11. | Kerala            | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 12. | Ladakh            | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 13. | Madhya Pradesh    | 156.06    | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 14. | Maharashtra       | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 15. | Manipur           | -         | -         | -         | -         | 100       |
| 16. | Mizoram           | 96.85     | 75.35     | 154.212   | 39.47     | 59.20     |
| 17. | Odisha            | 410.00    | 537.00    | 165.00    | -         | 127.50    |
| 18. | Punjab            | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 19. | Rajasthan         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 20. | Sikkim            | 106.20    | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 21. | Tamil Nadu        | 137.22    | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 22. | Tripura           | 312.83    | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 23. | Uttar Pradesh     | 61.70     | 57.84     | 36.53     | -         | 107.49    |
| 24. | Uttarakhand       | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 25. | West Bengal       | 429.10    | -         | -         | -         | 149.93    |
|     | Total             | 1952.90   | 671.02    | 355.75    | 1089.40   | 414.77    |

Grand Total: Rs 4483.84 lakhs or say Rs 44.84 Crores