New Delhi

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired the 88th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) in New Delhi.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, during the meeting, the Standing Committee considered 70 proposals relating to public utility services, defence requirements and infrastructure development located in and around Protected Areas, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Tiger Reserves and Eco-Sensitive Zones, in accordance with the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The proposals were deliberated with due regard to ecological sensitivity, statutory requirements and the need to ensure essential services for local communities.

According to the release, important public utility proposals considered by the Committee include drinking water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), primary and community health centres, road widening, 4G mobile towers, and transmission lines.

Further proposals related to the medium irrigation project in MP, providing drinking and irrigation water facilities in the Bundelkhand region on the one hand, and enhancing a more robust water regime for wildlife and gharials on the other, were also deliberated.

The Standing Committee also considered 17 defence-related proposals, primarily located in the Union Territory of Ladakh and the State of Sikkim, relating to strategic infrastructure in border and high-altitude areas.

These proposals were recommended in view of national security and strategic requirements, while ensuring strict adherence to wildlife mitigation measures and environmental safeguards, in line with the Committee's directions and applicable statutory provisions.

The Committee reviewed the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the decisions and directions taken by the Committee in previous meetings, especially with respect to policy measures and process streamlining, including improvements to ofthe PARIVESH portal.

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The Committee decided that policy and programmes related to wildlife conservation and compliance with the directions of the SC-NBWL will further be deliberated in future meetings for effective monitoring.

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife is a statutory body constituted under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, mandated to advise the Government on matters relating to the conservation and protection of wildlife and forests, while ensuring that development activities in and around protected areas are undertaken in a balanced and sustainable manner.