MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)
(a) Details of Wildlife Sanctuaries in the country is given in the Annexure-I.
(b) State-wise, Sanctuary-wise details of funds sought, sanctioned and utilised during the last three years and the current year under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ is given in the Annexure –II.
(c) The management and protection of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks including prevention of encroachment is the responsibility of the concerned State/ Union Territory Government. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers the Chief Wildlife Wardens and other authorised officers in the States/Union Territories for prevention and detection of wildlife offences including encroachment and to initiate prosecution proceedings against the offenders. The information about encroachment in Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park and action taken thereon by the concerned State Government and shrinking forest cover in the said sanctuaries is not compiled in the Ministry. However, as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)- 2017, biannually published by Forest Survey of India, there is an increase of 8021 sqkm (forest cover 6778 sqkm, tree cover 1243 sqkm) of total forest and tree cover compared to that of ISFR-2015 which is about 1% of total forest and tree cover in the country which also include the forest areas of the Wildlife Sanctuary, National Park, Conservation Reserve and Community Reserve. Moreover, in the last five years, the number of Protected Areas has increased from 745 to 828.
(d) There is no proposal to connect/link the wildlife sanctuaries under the consideration of the Ministry.
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