Rs 1,000 crore released for 157 wetlands in India: Javadekar

Over Rs 1,000 crore has been released for the conservation of 157 wetlands in the country under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA), Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Prakash Javadekar informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on whether the number of lakes has declined substantially across the country over recent years, Javadekar said rapid urbanisation, development activities and anthropogenic pressures have stressed water bodies.

“Under the NPCA scheme, the central assistance is based on proposals received from state governments, in conformity with the guidelines and budget availability. Accordingly, so far, MoEFCC has sanctioned projects for conservation of 157 wetlands in the country and released an amount of about Rs 1,039 crore as central share,” the minister said.

The NPCA is a conservation programme for both wetlands and lakes. It is a Centrally-sponsored scheme, currently being implemented by the MoEFCC, and was formulated in 2015 by merging of the National Lake Conservation Plan and the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.

“Various departments in the Central government and the state governments are engaged in restoration, conservation and preservation of lakes and wetlands. Works related to water resources development and management are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the state governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities,” Javadekar said.

He said the ministry is implementing the NPCA on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre and the respective states.