Lok Sabha Question No. 284 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-19
Subject: Great Indian Bustard
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, FEROZE VARUN GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.284

TO BE ANSWERED ON  19.07.2016

## Great Indian Bustard

## 284. SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any action plan to save the 'Great Indian Bustard', a magnificent bird of grasslands which is very close to extinction in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is a fact that a total of 200 Great Indian Bustards are left in India and out of these 48 are in Gujarat and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the  State  Government  of  Gujarat  has  forwarded  any  plan  that  includes establishment  of  a  National  Level  Conservation  and  Breeding  Centre  for  Great Indian Bustard in Kachhua District; and
- (d) if so, the action taken by the Government to sanction a total of Rs.187.13 crore for the estimated project cost for a period of 10 years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) The Ministry has prepared an Action Plan for Recovery of Resident Bustards' for the conservation of Bustards including Great Indian Bustard in the country. This  species  has  also been  identified as  one  of  the  species  under  the component  'Recovery  programmes  for  saving  critically  endangered  species and their habitats' of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Integrated Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats'. Financial  assistance  is  provided  to  the State Governments for protection of Great Indian Bustard habitats under the said Scheme.  In the year 2015-16, central assistance of Rs.65.36 lakhs to State of Rajasthan, an amount of Rs. 11.79 lakhs to Kutchh Bustard Sanctuary and Rs.  2.48  lakhs  to  Gaga  Great  Indian  Bustard  Sanctuary  of  Gujarat  and Rs.110.63  lakhs  to  Maharashtra  were  provided  for  conservation  of  Great Indian Bustard(GIB).

Recently  the  Ministry  has  sanctioned  a  Project  under  central  CAMPA  for conservation breeding of Great Indian Bustard for augmenting wild population with an allocation of Rs.33.85 Cr. for five years. An amount of Rs.9.95 crores has been released to Wildlife Institute of India during 2015-16. This programme will be implemented by Wildlife Institute of India for the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra to begin with.

- (b) Population of Great Indian Bustard is known to have plummeted to less than 300  in  the  country.  As  per  the  last  estimation  of  Great  Indian  Bustard conducted  by  Forest  Department  and  Gujarat  Ecological  Education  and Research (GEER) Foundation in 2007, 48 birds were thriving in and around Kachchh Bustard Sanctuary.

The population of this species is declining due to land use change in important bustard habitats which are grasslands.

- (c)&(d) Gujarat  Forest  Department  has  forwarded  Recovery  Plan  for  Great  Indian Bustard in Kachchh, Gujarat indicating a cost of Rs. 187.13 crores for a period of  10  years.  This  Recovery  Plan  shows  the  complete  activity  and  cost projection.  Annual  Plan  Operation  (APO)  seeking  financial  assistance  for implementation  of  this  Plan  has  not  been  submitted  to  this  Ministry  by  the State Government of Gujarat.

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