Deepak Dwivedi
Chairing his first meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Gir National Park in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a slew of measures that establish India’s leadership role in the field of wildlife conservation and reiterate its commitment to live in harmony with nature. The Prime Minister also inaugurated and visited Vantara, the world’s largest animal rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre, in the state.
There, he spent time with rescued animals, explored conservation efforts and witnessed life-saving treatments. Apart from expansion of the ongoing Project Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, PM Modi’s announcements on the World Wildlife Day included starting an Asiatic Lion population estimation exercise in May, setting up a centre of excellence for effective management of human-wildlife conflict, and new conservation initiatives for gharials and Great Indian Bustards.
The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the National Board for Wildlife and this was the seventh meeting of the apex body on wildlife conservation and development. The last full-body meeting was held on September 5, 2012.
The Board approved Rs 2,900 crore for various conservation works under Project Lion for the next 10 years, and announced a National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Plan as well as a scheme for conservation of tigers outside tiger reserves.
Under Project Lion, the Government aims to increase the range of Asiatic Lions throughout the Saurashtra region. Population estimation of Asiatic Lions is carried out once every five years. The last such exercise was carried out in 2020. PM Modi also released a report on the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation conducted in the country. It revealed that there are 6,327 riverine dolphins across the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus River basins.
IN a post shared on the social media platform X, PM Modi emphasised India’s dedication to safeguarding the planet’s rich biodiversity, highlighting the essential role of every species in maintaining ecological balance. He urged the citizens worldwide to renew their commitment to protecting the planet’s diverse life forms: “Every species plays a vital role – let’s safeguard their future for generations to come!”
India’s diverse ecosystems are home to a vast array of species, and the nation has implemented numerous initiatives to ensure their protection. With PM Modi in chair, the National Board for Wildlife examined the Government’s wildlife conservation efforts, noting species-specific flagship programmes. The meeting also reviewed the progress of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) set up by India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
It’s a global initiative for conservation of seven major big cat species – tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma. As of now, 26 countries along with several international and national organisations dedicated to wildlife conservation, have agreed to join the IBCA.
