Kolkata/Coimbatore, July 9 (IANS) The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) on Thursday stressed that development projects of national importance should be implemented with appropriate safeguards to minimise adverse impacts on wildlife and their habitats, in accordance with the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and other applicable environmental safeguards.

The committee’s 91st meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in Coimbatore.

The committee considered 118 proposals from across the country involving activities such as roads and bridges, defence infrastructure, drinking water supply, communication towers, power transmission lines, optical fibre networks, pipelines, mining, renewable energy, educational institutions, public infrastructure and other essential development works requiring wildlife clearance under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The proposals were appraised on the basis of their ecological impacts, importance for public welfare and national development, and the adequacy of mitigation measures to ensure the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.

The progress of decisions taken during the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by the Prime Minister, was also reviewed.

The long-term conservation strategy for the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros based on the Rhino DNA Indexing System, the future conservation strategy for the Great Indian Bustard, and the inclusion of the Pygmy Hog under the Species Recovery Programme were among the issues discussed during the meeting.

The SC-NBWL also reviewed the progress of conservation programmes for threatened species and released important scientific publications relating to the Rhinoceros, Sloth Bear and Great Indian Bustard.

Addressing the meeting, Yadav emphasised that wildlife conservation remains central to India’s environmental governance and that scientific planning, habitat connectivity and effective mitigation measures should continue to guide decision-making on development projects in and around wildlife habitats.

He also said that solution-based policy interventions involving technological and sociological studies, while utilising traditional knowledge in wildlife conservation, are needed.

“Apart from 118 proposals related to infrastructure and defence received from state governments, programmes and policies related to species conservation, active management of tiger populations, and progress of projects emanating from the NBWL meeting were reviewed and discussed at length,” Yadav posted on X.

–IANS

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