Government reinforces commitment to protect Great Indian Bustard in Gujarat
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, stated on Thursday that the government is actively working to protect the Great Indian Bustard birds in Gujarat. While responding to supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha, Yadav mentioned that the government has initiated a program for the conservation of Great Indian Bustards across several states, including Gujarat. This response followed a query from Congress member Shaktisinh Gohil, who noted that there is a sanctuary for Great Indian Bustards in Kutch, Gujarat, but only three female birds remain there. He expressed concern that if these three female birds were to die, the sanctuary land might be transferred to businessmen. In response, Yadav assured the Congress member that his fears were aseless and emphasized that the government is indeed working towards the protection of the Great Indian Bustards in Gujarat. He also corrected the record, stating that there are actually four female Great Indian Bustards in Kutch, while the population in Rajasthan stands at 140. Yadav also stated that the government is not currently running any specific project for the protection of Indian Roller (Palapitta) birds. This was in reply to a question from BJP leader K Laxman regarding the declining population of Indian Rollers. In a written reply, Yadav explained that the protection and management of wildlife and their habitats are primarily the responsibility of state governments and union territory administrations. He further noted that population estimations for flagship species like tigers, snow leopards, and dolphins are conducted at the national level, while assessments for other animals and birds are carried out by the respective states and union territories, and these figures are not consolidated at the ministry level. Yadav added that wild animals listed in Schedules I and II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 are protected from hunting. The Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) is categorized in Schedule II of the Act. To highlight the government's initiatives for wildlife protection, Yadav mentioned that a network of protected areas, including national parks, sanctuaries, conservation reserves, and community reserves, has been established across the country. He also noted that financial assistance is provided to states and union territories for wildlife management and habitat development under centrally sponsored schemes such as 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' and 'Project Tiger & Elephant,' based on the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) submitted by these entities. Additionally, special programs like 'Project Tiger,' 'Project Elephant,' 'Project Lion,' 'Project Snow Leopard,' 'Project Dolphin,' 'Project Cheetah,' and 'Project Great Indian Bustard' have been initiated for their conservation, Yadav concluded.
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