Lok Sabha Question No. 1432 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Protection of Wetlands
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BHAGWANTH KHUBA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1432

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2016

## Protection of Wetlands

## 1432. SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA:

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

- (a)     whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  species  count  in  the  country  has gone down by 15%;
- (b)    if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any urgent steps to protect wetlands across the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the action plan in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a)  & (b) Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the research  organizations  under  the  Ministry,  carry  out  taxonomic,  systematic  and exploration surveys and studies of flora and fauna in the country respectively. The faunal diversity studies carried out in India by ZSI have not shown any evidence of loss  of  faunal  species  at  15%  rate,  though  there  are  indications  of  depletion  of population  abundance  of  species.  As  per  the  data  available  with  the  BSI,  out  of 19,156  species  of  vascular  plants  so  far  recorded  from  the  country,  1236  species belong  to  different  threatened  categories  like  Critically  Endangered,  Endangered, Vulnerable,  etc.  These  organizations  have  informed  that  there  is  no  specific  data available  or  studies  carried  out  by  them  which  establish  that  the  species  count  in India has gone down by 15 percent.
- (c) & (d)  For conservation and management of identified wetlands in the country, the scheme of National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) was implemented till  the  year  2012-13. To have better synergy and to avoid overlap, the NWCP has been merged in February, 2013 with another scheme of National Lake Conservation Plan  (NLCP)  into  a  new  integrated  scheme  of  'National  Plan  for  Conservation  of Aquatic Eco-systems' (NPCA) for holistic conservation of lakes and wetlands, which is  operational  on  cost  sharing  basis  between  the  Central  and  State  Governments. Under the scheme, financial assistance has been provided to the State Governments/Union  Territories  for  undertaking  wetland  conservation  activities  like survey & demarcation, catchment area treatment, desilting & dredging, bio-fencing, fisheries development, weed control, biodiversity conservation, pollution abatement, education & awareness and community participation etc. So far, since 1987-88 an amount of Rs.146.94 crore has been released for undertaking various conservation

activities  in  82  identified  wetlands  under  NWCP / NPCA, as per State-wise details given  in  Annexure.  Further,  to  regulate  certain  activities  within  the  designated wetlands,  the  Government  of  India  has  notified  the  Wetlands  (Conservation  and Management) Rules in December, 2010.

In order to conserve wetlands and  lakes in an integrated manner, all the States/ Union Territories  have been advised for giving high priority for constitution of State wetland/ lake authorities, identification and notification of priority wetlands including delineation  of  their  boundaries,  development  of  integrated  management  plans, securing resources  for  implementation  of  management  plans,  monitoring  and evaluation,  strengthening research-management interface, etc.

*****

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (c)  &  (d)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred Question  No.1432  to  be  answered  on  Tuesday,  the  26 th July,  2016  on 'Protection of wetlands' raised by Shri Bhagwanth Khuba

## State-wise details of funds released for conservation of identified wetlands under NWCP/NPCA

|   S. No. | State/Union Territory   |   S. No. | Wetland                     |   Amount released (till 31.03.2016) (Amt. In Rs. crore) |
|----------|-------------------------|----------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh          |        1 | Kolleru                     |                                                    2.5  |
|        2 | Assam                   |        2 | Deepar Beel                 |                                                    3.62 |
|        3 | Bihar                   |        3 | Kabar                       |                                                    0.47 |
|        3 | Bihar                   |        4 | Barilla                     |                                                    0.47 |
|        3 | Bihar                   |        5 | Kusheshwar Asthan           |                                                    0.47 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |        6 | Nalsarovar                  |                                                    7.37 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |        7 | Thol Bird Sanctuary         |                                                    7.37 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |        8 | Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary    |                                                    7.37 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |        9 | Pariej                      |                                                    7.37 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |       10 | Wadhwana                    |                                                    7.37 |
|        4 | Gujarat                 |       11 | Nanikakrad                  |                                                    7.37 |
|        5 | Haryana                 |       12 | Sultanpur                   |                                                    3.23 |
|        5 | Haryana                 |       13 | Bhindawas                   |                                                    3.23 |
|        6 | Himachal Pradesh        |       14 | Renuka                      |                                                    5.5  |
|        6 | Himachal Pradesh        |       15 | Pong Dam                    |                                                    5.5  |
|        6 | Himachal Pradesh        |       16 | Chandratal                  |                                                    5.5  |
|        6 | Himachal Pradesh        |       17 | Rewalsar                    |                                                    5.5  |
|        6 | Himachal Pradesh        |       18 | Khajjiar                    |                                                    5.5  |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       19 | Wullar                      |                                                    8.26 |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       20 | Tso Morari                  |                                                    8.26 |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       21 | Tisgul Tso & Chisul Marshes |                                                    8.26 |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       22 | Hokersar                    |                                                    8.26 |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       23 | Mansar-Surinsar             |                                                    8.26 |
|        7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |       24 | Pangong Tsar                |                                                    8.26 |
|        8 | Karnataka               |       25 | Magadhi                     |                                                    2.18 |
|        8 | Karnataka               |       26 | Gudavi Bird Sanctuary       |                                                    2.18 |
|        8 | Karnataka               |       27 | Bonal                       |                                                    2.18 |
|        8 | Karnataka               |       28 | Hidkal & Ghataprabha        |                                                    2.18 |
|        8 | Karnataka               |       29 | Ranganthittu                |                                                    2.18 |
|        9 | Kerala                  |       30 | Ashtamudi                   |                                                    2.8  |
|        9 | Kerala                  |       31 | Sasthamkotta                |                                                    2.8  |
|        9 | Kerala                  |       32 | Kottuli                     |                                                    2.8  |
|        9 | Kerala                  |       33 | Vembanad Kol (Kuttanad)     |                                                    2.8  |
|       10 | Madhya Pradesh          |       34 | Barna                       |                                                    2.04 |
|       10 | Madhya Pradesh          |       35 | Yashwant Sagar              |                                                    2.04 |
|       10 | Madhya Pradesh          |       36 | Ghatigaon                   |                                                    2.04 |
|       10 | Madhya Pradesh          |       37 | Ratapani                    |                                                    2.04 |

|     |                  | 38.     | Sakhyasagar              |        |
|-----|------------------|---------|--------------------------|--------|
| 11. | Manipur          | 39. 40. | Sirpur Loktak            | 11.05  |
| 12. | Mizoram          | 41.     | Tamdil                   | 7.70   |
|     |                  | 42.     | Palak                    |        |
| 13. | Odisha           | 43.     | Chilika                  | 13.57  |
|     |                  | 44.     | Kanjia wetland           |        |
|     |                  | 45.     | Daha wetland             |        |
|     |                  | 46.     | Anusupa                  |        |
| 14. | Punjab           | 47.     | Harike                   | 11.13  |
|     |                  | 48.     | Ropar                    |        |
|     |                  | 49.     | Kanjli                   |        |
|     |                  | 50.     | Nangal                   |        |
| 15. | Rajasthan        | 51.     | Sambhar                  | 7.19   |
| 16. | Sikkim           | 52.     | Khechuperi Holy Lake     | 3.60   |
|     |                  | 53.     | Phendang Wetland Complex |        |
|     |                  | 54.     | Gurudokmar Wetland       |        |
|     |                  | 55.     | Tsomgo wetland           |        |
|     |                  | 56.     | Tamzey wetland           |        |
| 17. | Tamil Nadu       | 57.     | Point Calimere           | 10.30  |
|     |                  | 58.     | Kaliveli                 |        |
|     |                  | 59.     | Pallaikarni              |        |
| 18. | Tripura          | 60.     | Rudrasagar               | 1.25   |
| 19. | Uttar Pradesh    | 61.     | Nawabganj                | 15.33  |
|     |                  | 62.     | Sandi                    |        |
|     |                  | 63.     | Lakh Bahoshi             |        |
|     |                  | 64.     | Samaspur                 |        |
|     |                  | 65.     | Semarai Lake             |        |
|     |                  | 66.     | Nagaria lake             |        |
|     |                  | 67.     | Keetham Lake             |        |
|     |                  | 68.     | Shekha wetland           |        |
|     |                  | 69.     | Saman Bird Sanctuary     |        |
|     |                  | 70.     | Sarsai Nawar             |        |
|     |                  | 71.     | Patna Bird Sanctuary     |        |
|     |                  | 72.     | Chandotal                |        |
|     |                  | 73.     | Taal Bhaghel             |        |
| 20. | Uttarakhand      | 74.     | Ban Ganga Jhilmil Tal    | 0.45   |
|     |                  | 75.     | Asan                     |        |
| 21. | West Bengal      | 76.     | East Kolkata Wetland     | 16.90  |
|     |                  | 77.     | Sunderbans               |        |
|     |                  | 78.     | Ahiron Beel              |        |
|     |                  | 79.     | Rasik Beel               |        |
|     |                  | 80.     | Santragachi              |        |
|     |                  | 81.     | Patlakhawa-              |        |
| 22. | Puducherry ( UT) | 82.     | Rasomati Ousteri lake    | 0.65   |
|     | R&D + Others     |         | -                        | 9.85   |
|     | Total            |         |                          | 146.94 |