Question

INDISCRIMINATE USAGE OF PLASTIC IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO BIO-DIVERSITY WHAT ARE EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS REGARD? WRITE A REPORT ON IT?

Answer 1

Steps Taken By Government for Biodiversity Protection

Indian Government has taken various biodiversity protection steps. Important measures include :

The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Act, inter alia, provides for creation of Protected Areas for protection of wild life and also provides for punishment for hunting of specified fauna specified in the schedules I to IV thereof.

Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been framed for protection of wetlands, in the States.The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System also provides assistance to the States for management of wet lands including Ramsar sites in the country.Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species.Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some of the research organizations undertaking research on conservation of wildlife.The Indian Government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac drug that has caused rapid population decline of Gyps vulture across the Indian Subcontinent. Conservation Breeding Programmes to conserve these vulture species have been initiated at Pinjore (Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by the Bombay Natural History Society.The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats‘ has been modified by including a new component namely ‘Recovery of Endangered Species‘ and 16 species have been identified for recovery viz. Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugong, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer and Jerdon’s Courser.Under the ‘Recovery of Endangered Species’ component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ for the recovery of endangered species viz. Hangul in Jammu and Kashmir, Snow Leopard in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Vulture in Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat, Swiftlet in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nilgiri Tahr in Taml Nadu, Sanghai Deer in Manipur governement has spend lakhs of rupees.Protected Areas, viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves all over the country covering the important habitats have been created as per the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to provide better protection to wildlife, including threatened species and their habitat.Financial and technical assistance is extended to the State Governments under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz, ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for providing better protection and conservation to wildlife.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.The State Governments have been requested to strengthen the field formations and intensify patrolling in and around the Protected Areas.