In a bid to bolster wildlife conservation and habitat protection efforts across India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has released substantial financial assistance to various States and Union Territories (UTs) under the Centrally Sponsored Umbrella Scheme ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat’. This scheme comprises two crucial initiatives: ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ and ‘Project Tiger and Elephant’, aimed at preserving wildlife habitats and addressing human-wildlife conflict. The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. For the current financial year (2024-25), the following funds have been allocated to various States and UTs, as of December 11, 2024: Funds Released Under ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ Sl. No.State/UTFunds Released (₹ in Lakhs)1Arunachal Pradesh696.552Assam1234.463Chhattisgarh135.584Goa66.445Haryana116.496Himachal Pradesh172.317Jammu & Kashmir73.978Jharkhand71.949Karnataka800.8210Kerala909.6411Madhya Pradesh486.7712Maharashtra622.0713Manipur261.7114Meghalaya389.5915Mizoram344.3216Nagaland1044.0617Odisha882.5018Sikkim221.1719Tamil Nadu661.7820Uttar Pradesh393.8721Uttarakhand652.2422Lakshadweep217.18 Grand Total: ₹ 10,455.46 Lakhs Funds Released Under ‘Project Tiger and Elephant’ Sl. No.State/UTFunds Released (₹ in Lakhs)1Andhra Pradesh365.132Arunachal Pradesh629.113Assam2043.604Bihar126.145Chhattisgarh181.586Haryana20.407Jharkhand363.788Karnataka783.079Kerala221.3710Madhya Pradesh2213.9711Maharashtra1726.1212Manipur14.6213Meghalaya29.7014Mizoram247.9215Nagaland231.1416Odisha563.4017Rajasthan228.4718Tamil Nadu1450.5319Telangana291.6820Tripura10.9921Uttarakhand1207.5322Uttar Pradesh1381.2523West Bengal425.95 Grand Total: ₹ 14,757.48 Lakhs These funds will help in the conservation of critical wildlife habitats, including those of tigers and elephants, and will also assist in the management of human-wildlife conflicts across the nation. The financial support aims to strengthen India’s commitment to preserving its rich biodiversity and fostering sustainable coexistence between wildlife and local communities.
