Lok Sabha Question No. 3809 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Steps to check Encroachments in Wetland
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Anto Antony

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3809

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## Steps to check Encroachments in Wetland

## 3809.   SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

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

- (a) the details of the steps taken by the Government to curb encroachment and pollution in natural wetlands across the country;
- (b) the details of measures taken by the Government to integrate wetland conservation into urban planning and infrastructure development policies;
- (c) the total area of natural wetlands lost across the country during the last four decades, State-wise;
- (d) the number of Ramsar sites in the country which have recorded a decline in wetland area along with the details of area decreased;
- (e) the percentage of the lost wetlands that have been restored under the Government initiatives; and
- (f) the details of budget allocation for wetland conservation under the Ministry for the last five years along with the details of fund utilized?

## ANSWER

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

(a) &  (b)  MoEF&CC  is  currently  implementing  the  'National  Plan  for  Conservation  of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA)' scheme for conservation and management of wetlands in the country on cost sharing basis between Central Government and respective State Governments. The  scheme  covers  various  activities  such  as  interception,  diversion  and  treatment  of wastewater,  shoreline  protection,  in-situ  cleaning  i.e.,  desilting  &  deweeding,  storm  water management, bioremediation, catchment area treatment, survey & demarcation, bio-fencing, fisheries  development,  weed  control,  biodiversity  conservation,  education  and  awareness creation, community participation, etc.

For  more  effective  conservation  and  management  of  wetlands  in  the  country, MoEF&CC in consultation with the stakeholders, had notified the Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017 superseding the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010. The said Rules inter-alia, prohibit conversion for non-wetland uses including encroachment of any kind, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from industries, cities, towns, villages and other human settlements.

As per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as amended from time to time, prior Environmental Clearance (EC) before the start of the project is required for all new/expansion Projects and/or activities as listed in the Schedule to this Notification, to be undertaken in any part of the country. The prior assessment of environmental impact and risk assessment including wetlands conservation as well as factoring the outcome of such analysis in the design and implementation of infrastructure projects is the very basis of grant of EC for such projects.  The process of prior EC involves rigorous examination at different stages such as screening, scoping, public consultation, appraisal, stipulation of conditions in the EC and their compliance & monitoring.

The GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) integrated in workflow on Pro-Active and Responsive Facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single - Window Hub (PARIVESH)  serves  as  a  comprehensive  technological  solution  designed  to  facilitate  the evaluation  of  project  site  (proximity)  in  order  to  aid  in  informed  decision-making  and recommendation  of  environmental  safeguards  for  sustainable  development.  The  system features multi-layered geographical layers in relation to environmentally critical regions like wetlands  and  internationally  recognized  Ramsar  sites,  which  are  vital  for  biodiversity conservation and hydrological regulation.

Further, the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2015 published by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs inter-alia, contains the importance of wetlands and the steps for conserving wetlands in the Integrated Development  Plans.  Further,  the  water  bodies  (wetlands)  are  included    in  the  urban  land use/land cover i.e. layer wise geo-spatial data content with class & sub-class, geometry, symbol etc. under the 'Design & Standards for Formulation of GIS based Master Plan for AMRUT Cities'.

(c) to (e)  As per the National Wetlands Atlas of 2021 prepared by Space Applications Centre, there is a net increase of 0.72 million hectare in the total area of wetlands across the country as compared to the 2011 Atlas. The State/UT wise data is Annexed. However, while the Central and  State  Governments  take  all  possible  steps  for  the  conservation  and  management  of wetlands, developmental activities and anthropogenic pressures do impact wetlands.

(f)      Under  the  NPCA  scheme, MoEF&CC has provided financial assistance  of Rs. 144.35 crores  as  Central  share  to  the  concerned  States/UTs  from  FY  2019-20  to  FY  2023-24  for conservation and management of 58 wetlands across the country.

****

Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 3809 to be answered  on  Monday,  the  24 th   March  2025  on  'Steps  to  check  Encroachments  in

Wetland'

## State/UT wise wetland area

|   Sr. No. | State/UT          | Area of wetlands as per the National Wetlands Atlas of 2011 (ha)   |   Area of wetlands as per the National Wetlands Atlas of 2021 (ha) |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh    | 1447133                                                            |                                                            1141606 |
|         2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 155728                                                             |                                                             151104 |
|         3 | Assam             | 764372                                                             |                                                             849078 |
|         4 | Bihar             | 403209                                                             |                                                             374766 |
|         5 | Chhattisgarh      | 337966                                                             |                                                             342443 |
|         6 | Goa               | 21337                                                              |                                                              24749 |
|         7 | Gujarat           | 3474950                                                            |                                                            3499429 |
|         8 | Haryana           | 42478                                                              |                                                              33649 |
|         9 | Himachal Pradesh  | 98496                                                              |                                                              94011 |
|        10 | Jharkhand         | 170051                                                             |                                                             187045 |
|        11 | Karnataka         | 643576                                                             |                                                             787127 |
|        12 | Kerala            | 160590                                                             |                                                             158336 |
|        13 | Madhya Pradesh    | 818166                                                             |                                                             861736 |
|        14 | Maharashtra       | 1014522                                                            |                                                            1152625 |
|        15 | Manipur           | 63616                                                              |                                                              67408 |
|        16 | Meghalaya         | 29987                                                              |                                                              31002 |
|        17 | Mizoram           | 13988                                                              |                                                              19476 |
|        18 | Nagaland          | 21544                                                              |                                                              21118 |
|        19 | Odisha            | 690904                                                             |                                                             719942 |
|        20 | Punjab            | 86283                                                              |                                                              47024 |
|        21 | Rajasthan         | 782314                                                             |                                                             778824 |
|        22 | Sikkim            | 7477                                                               |                                                               7049 |
|        23 | Tamil Nadu        | 902534                                                             |                                                             925712 |
|        24 | Telangana         | NA                                                                 |                                                             566680 |
|        25 | Tripura           | 17542                                                              |                                                              18438 |
|        26 | Uttar Pradesh     | 1242530                                                            |                                                            1104562 |
|        27 | Uttarakhand       | 103882                                                             |                                                             112882 |
|        28 | West Bengal       | 1107907                                                            |                                                            1130127 |
|        29 | Andaman& Nicobar  | 152809                                                             |                                                             143238 |

| 30   | Chandigarh         | 350      |      336 |
|------|--------------------|----------|----------|
| 31   | Dadra Nagar Haveli | 2070     |     2063 |
| 32   | Daman and Diu      | 2068     |     2728 |
| 33   | Delhi              | 2771     |     2773 |
| 34   | Jammu &Kashmir     | 391501   |   164110 |
| 35   | Lakshadweep        | 79586    |    79716 |
| 36   | Ladakh             | NA       |   373049 |
| 37   | Puducherry         | 6335     |     5555 |
|      | Total              | 15260572 | 15981516 |