Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav chaired the 89th meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife in Bhopal on Saturday.
During the meeting, proposals related to wildlife conservation and development projects located in and around protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and eco-sensitive zones were discussed in accordance with the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The proposals were examined keeping in view ecological sensitivity, statutory requirements and prescribed mitigation measures.
A total of 58 fresh proposals across sectors such as communication infrastructure, optical fibre cables, power transmission lines, road projects, drinking water supply, thermal power, defence, irrigation and other infrastructure were considered by the committee.
The committee also deliberated on key policy matters, including the ecological importance of maintaining environmental flows in the Chambal river for conservation of aquatic fauna such as dolphins and gharials. The discussion further focused on the social, economic and ecological aspects of villages located inside tiger reserves, the importance of grasslands for wildlife management and strategies to address challenges arising from human-leopard interaction.
The meeting laid emphasis on involvement of scientific and technical institutions including the Wildlife Institute of India, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and the Central Ground Water Commission, to ensure conservation policies are supported by robust research and inter-sectoral coordination.
