Wildlife conservation central to environmental governance, must guide development: Bhupender Yadav

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Asserting that wildlife conservation remains central to India's environmental governance, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said scientific planning, habitat connectivity and effective mitigation measures should continue to guide decision-making on developmental projects in and around wildlife habitats. The environment minister further said wildlife conservation requires solution-based policy interventions involving technological and sociological studies, while also utilising traditional knowledge, according to a statement released here. His remarks came at the 91st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) in Coimbatore. During the meeting, the Standing Committee reviewed the progress made on the decisions taken during the seventh meeting of the NBWL, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and deliberated upon several important national conservation initiatives. The long-term conservation strategy for the greater one-horned rhinoceros based on the rhino DNA indexing system was discussed, among other issues, officials said. The Standing Committee also reviewed the progress of conservation programmes for threatened species and released important scientific publications on rhinoceros, sloth bear and the Great Indian Bustard. More than 100 proposals across the country involving activities and other essential development works requiring wildlife clearance under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, were also considered by the committee. "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 conservation of wildlife and their habitats," an official said. PTI ALC PRK