Bhopal, Feb 28 (PTI) Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Friday chaired the 89th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife and Central Zoo Authority (NZA) in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.
The committee considered proposals related to wildlife conservation and development projects located in and around Protected Areas, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Tiger Reserves and Eco-Sensitive Zones under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, a Press Bureau of Information (PIB) statement said.
“The proposals were examined in view of ecological sensitivity, statutory requirements and prescribed mitigation measures. A total of 58 fresh proposals across sectors such as communication infrastructure, optical fibre cables, power transmission lines, road projects, drinking water supply, thermal power, defence, irrigation and other infrastructure were taken up,” it said.
The committee also deliberated on policy issues including maintaining environmental flows in the Chambal river for conservation of aquatic fauna such as dolphins and gharials, status of villages inside Tiger Reserves, importance of grasslands for wildlife management, and challenges related to the human-leopard interface, the statement informed.
It emphasised the involvement of scientific and technical institutions including Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education as well as Central Water Commission to support conservation policies through research and inter-sectoral coordination.
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife is a statutory body constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 to advise the government on conservation of wildlife and forests while ensuring sustainable development around Protected Areas.
Yadav also chaired the 44th meeting of the Central Zoo Authority at the Indian Institute of Forest Management here, during which key achievements in 2025-26 and strategic priorities for 2026-27 were presented.
A status report on the establishment of National Referral Centre for Wildlife in Junagadh and its regional centres was also placed before the authority.
An annual calendar for observance of important days was presented to promote empathy among zoo visitors and awareness on conservation and ecological balance.
Among the decisions taken was the authority setting a target to complete the second cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of large and medium zoos by May 2026.
The scope of a committee examining corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions for zoos was expanded to recommend identification of prominent personalities for promoting zoos, ex-situ conservation, conservation education and zoo self-sustainability.
The authority decided to explore collaboration with the Zoological Survey of India and institutions under the NIRANTAR vertical for promoting zoos and conservation education.
It also decided to seek suggestions from Members of Parliament from constituencies having recognised zoos to strengthen them under the National Zoo Policy.
Schools that have organised zoo visits for students will be identified and their managements will be requested to hold dedicated classes to gather suggestions for strengthening zoos. PTI LAL BNM
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