Question : CHECK ON DEATHS OF WILD LIFE

(a) the total number of wild animals died in rail, road and train accidents and also electrocution in the country during the last three years and the current year; State-wise;

(b) whether the Government is undertaking steps to protect critical wild life corridors in the country from large infrastructure projects such as the construction of a new highway, train line or power plant;

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)

(a) The number of wild animals that die in rail, road and train accidents and electrocution in the country is not collated in the Ministry.

(b),(c)&(d) Yes, Sir. The Government has created a network of protected areas comprising important wildlife habitats in the country. This includes areas notified as National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, Community Reserves and Tiger Reserves under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Tiger Reserves include buffer or peripheral areas consisting of the area peripheral to critical tiger habitat or core area, identified and established to ensure the integrity of the critical tiger habitat with adequate dispersal for tiger s pecies, and which aim at promoting co-existence between wildlife and human activity with due recognition of the livelihood, developmental, social and cultural rights of the local people.

Areas around the national parks and sanctuaries are also notified as eco-sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In the absence of such notification, areas falling within a distance of 10 km from the boundary of a national park or sanctuary are presently treated as eco-sensitive zone in accordance with the orders dated 04.12.2006 passed by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 460 of 2004. The approval of the National Board for Wildlife (or its Standing Committee) is mandatory for setting up of large infrastructure projects requiring environmental clearances, which are situated in, or pass through, such eco-sensitive zones. No non-forest use of areas falling within the boundaries of protected areas is permitted without the approval of the National Board for Wildlife.

National Board for Wildlife (or its Standing Committee) clears any project that is referred to it only after ascertaining that it has no adverse impact on the conservation of the wild life, and subject to such conditions as it may consider necessary, to mitigate the adverse impacts of such projects on the conservation and protection of wildlife in such protected areas.