All that was discussed in the House through the day
The tiger population in India is estimated to be 2,967 (lower and upper limits 2,603 to 3,346), according to the All India Tiger Estimation 2018. It is increasing at a rate of six per cent per annum in India when compared to the 2006-2018 estimation, Ashwini Kr Choubey, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. told the Rajya Sabha March 16, 2023.
Incidences of human-wildlife conflict have been reported from various parts of India. According to data presented in Parliament, the highest number of human deaths caused by elephant attacks in 2021-22 was in Jharkhand, followed by Odisha, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.
The Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India has identified potential sites for cheetah introduction at Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex and the Shahgarh bulge in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.
A forest area of 97.90875 hectares on Great Nicobar Island in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar has been diverted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for 18 projects, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha. The total area of Great Nicobar Island is 910 square kilometres.
The number of polluted river stretches in India have reduced from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.
India’s ambient air quality monitoring network presently consists of 1,340 stations (Manual + CAAQM Stations) at present, covering 489 cities in 28 states and seven Union Territories (UT). The rural network consists of 26 manual stations in 26 villages covering one state and one UT, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.
An amount of Rs 20,964,000 has been released for the establishment of new manual stations in FY 2021-22, which includes 17 rural areas, the minister said.
Ground water quality data from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) indicates the occurrence of contaminants such as flouride, arsenic, nitrate, iron and heavy metals beyond permissible limits in isolated pockets in certain parts of the country.
The ground water contamination reported by CGWB is mostly geogenic in nature and did not show significant change over the years. However, nitrate contamination has been noticed in some areas, particularly areas adjoining habitations.
Nitrate contamination can also be caused by excessive use of nitrogenous fertilisers, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a committee to identify 75 Water Heritage Structures (WHS) to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence. These include four structures from Uttar Pradesh.
In connection with this, Jal-Itihas sub-portal under India-WRIS portal, showcasing the 75 WHS, was launched on January 5, 2023 at the First All India State Ministers’ Conference on Water at Bhopal, Bishweswar Tudu, minister of state for Jal Shakti told the Lok Sabha.
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