Lok Sabha Question No. 3782 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Management of Invasive Flora and Fauna in Urban Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Jagdambika Pal, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3782

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## Management of Invasive Flora and Fauna in Urban Areas

## 3782.   SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

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

(a) whether the Government has comprehensively assessed the ecological and health impacts of  invasive  alien  species  like  Conocarpus,  particularly  regarding  groundwater  depletion, infrastructure damage and respiratory allergies;

(b)  the current  status of advisories issued to States to  ban Conocarpus and prioritize  native biodiversity in urban afforestation;

(c)  the  initiatives  taken  to  restore  urban  green  belts  with  indigenous  fruit-bearing  trees  to prevent wildlife migration into residential colonies;

(d) the funds released to States under the 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' scheme for urban wildlife conflict mitigation during the last three years and the current year, year-wise;

(e) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the monkey menace in urban sprawls, causing incidents of human-wildlife conflict and public safety risks; and

(f) the specific details of scientific population control measures, such as immunocontraception, being deployed to manage simian populations?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE

CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) and (b): In accordance with the provisions contained under Section 33 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Ministry has issued guidelines for the management planning for Protected Areas and other landscape elements. These guidelines also envisage incorporating prescriptions for eradication of invasive alien species in management plans of protected areas.

Further,  the  Government  of  India  has  issued  a  comprehensive  national  advisory  in August 2025 on the basis of report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on this issue. All  States  and  Union  Territories  have  been  asked  to  stop  the  plantation  of  Conocarpus (Buttonwood) species with immediate effect. As on January 2026, prohibitory orders have already been enforced by the governments of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana whereas other States have also incorporated these prohibitory orders into their municipal bylaws. The Government has also streamlined the afforestation activities across the country through the implementation of the Nagar Van Yojana and the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action  Plan  (NBSAP)  2024-2030.  These  guidelines  also  mandate  the  implementation  of  a "Native-First" policy for urban afforestation activities. Some of the newly afforested areas need to  be  covered  with  indigenous  species  like  Neem  ( Azadirachta  indica ),  Peepal  ( Ficus religiosa ), Jamun ( Syzygium cumini ), etc. thus avoiding alien species.

(c)  to  (f): The  incidences  of  human-wildlife  conflict  including  monkey  menace  have  been reported  from  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  management  of  wildlife  including  the mitigation  of  human-wildlife  conflict  is  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the  concerned States/UTs. The scientific management of wild animal populations, including monkeys listed in the Schedules appended to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, is regularly carried out by the concerned State and Union Territory Governments in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.

The Ministry provides financial assistance to State Governments & Urban Territory Administration under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' for the  management  of  wildlife  and  its  habitats  in  the  country.  It  includes  compensation  for depredation by wild animals including  cattle lifting, crop damage, loss of life and property. The details of fund released under the scheme in last three year is provided at Annexure-I .

## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (f) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3782 regarding 'Management of Invasive Flora and Fauna in Urban Areas' for reply on 16.03.2026

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

(₹. in lakhs)

| S. No .   | Name of States/UTs   |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |    2024-25 |   2025-26 (as on 11.03.2026) |
|-----------|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------------------------|
| 1         | A& N Islands         |  135.77   |   25.125  |    0      |     0      |                         0    |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh    |  419.806  |  276.441  |  672.462  |  1044.82   |                      1032.59 |
| 3         | Assam                |    0      |  209.146  |  565.108  |  1234.47   |                       695.16 |
| 4         | Bihar                |  410.86   |    0      |  336.372  |     0      |                         0    |
| 5         | Chandigarh           |    0      |   21.6241 |   16.498  |     0      |                         0    |
| 6         | Chhattisgarh         |  274.59   |  104.457  |  116.249  |   135.582  |                        11.9  |
| 7         | Goa                  |    0      |    0      |   50.1    |    66.4442 |                         0    |
| 8         | Gujarat              |    0      |  200.01   |  206.99   |   801.582  |                       348    |
| 9         | Haryana              |  127.331  |   30.1575 |  167.85   |   232.972  |                        96.12 |
| 10        | Himachal Pradesh     |  197.095  |  114.32   |   94.1533 |   172.311  |                        72.83 |
| 11        | Jharkhand            |   79.5332 |    0      |   14.9102 |    71.9362 |                         0    |
| 12        | Karnataka            | 1256.59   |  291.711  |  581.523  |   800.821  |                       292.79 |
| 13        | Kerala               |  295.774  |  224.474  |  921.036  |   909.639  |                       320.8  |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh       |  389.349  |  265.551  |  471.82   |   740.891  |                       274.1  |
| 15        | Maharashtra          |    0      |  350.388  |  554.696  |   622.067  |                       497.72 |
| 16        | Manipur              |  142.506  |  180.644  |  231.724  |   261.706  |                         0    |
| 17        | Meghalaya            |  530.513  |    0      |  243.566  |   389.594  |                         0    |
| 18        | Mizoram              |  198.968  |  190.198  |  304.207  |   344.326  |                       269.71 |
| 19        | Nagaland             |  342.031  |  725.657  | 1306.33   |  1490.04   |                       998.9  |
| 20        | Odisha               |  726.803  |  967.498  | 1005.09   |  1108.46   |                       312.02 |
| 21        | Rajasthan            | 1007.65   |   86.7889 |    0      |     0      |                       336.62 |
| 22        | Sikkim               |  182.972  |  239.66   |  187.032  |   221.17   |                       250.99 |
| 23        | Tamil Nadu           |  390.757  |  132.952  |  373.89   |   661.787  |                       237.27 |
| 24        | Uttar Pradesh        |  169.063  |  266.747  |  290.644  |   393.867  |                         0    |
| 25        | Uttarakhand          |  226.344  |  212.966  |  498.497  |   652.471  |                       280.14 |
| 26        | West Bengal          |  757.256  |  201.309  |  385.3    |   183.149  |                       417.63 |
| 27        | Puducherry           |    0      |    0      |    5.22   |     0      |                         0    |
| 28        | Lakshadweep          |  462.086  |  269.906  |  124.655  |   217.185  |                         0    |
| 29        | Ladakh UT            |   31.95   |   61.1159 |    6      |     0      |                         0    |
|           | Grand Total          | 8755.6    | 5648.85   | 9731.92   | 12757.3    |                      6745.29 |