Annual Report 2009-2010 ROLE AND MANDATE OF THE MINISTRY v Ministry of Environment & Forests Role and Mandate of the Ministry • Protection of the environment, and Role of the Ministry • Ensuring the welfare of animals. The primary concerns of the Ministry These objectives are well supported of Environment & Forests under the by a set of legislative and regulatory Government structure are implementation of measures, aimed at the preservation, policies and programmes relating to conservation and protection of the conservation of the country’s natural resources environment. Besides the legislative measures, including lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, a National Conservation Strategy and Policy forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of Statement on Environment and Development, animals and prevention and abatement of 1992, National Forest Policy, 1988, a Policy pollution. While implementing these policies Statement on Abatement of Pollution, 1992 and programmes, the Ministry is guided by and a National Environment Policy, 2006 the principle of sustainable development and have also been evolved. enhancement of human well-being. The Ministry also serves as the nodal agency in The organization structure of the the country for the United Nations Environment Ministry indicating various Divisions and its Programme (UNEP), South Asia Co-operative autonomous and subordinate offices is given Environment Programme (SACEP), at Annexure- I-A & I-B. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Mandate of the Ministry Development (ICIMOD) and for the follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Allocation of Business Environment and Development (UNCED). The • Environment and Ecology, including Ministry is also entrusted with the issues environment in coastal waters, in relating to multilateral bodies such as the mangroves and coral reefs but Commission on Sustainable Development excluding marine environment on the high (CSD), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and seas. of regional bodies like Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) and • Survey and Exploration of Natural South Asian Association for Regional Co- Resources particularly of Forest, Flora, operation (SAARC) on matters pertaining to Fauna, Ecosystems etc. environment. • Bio-diversity Conservation including that The broad objectives of the Ministry are: of lakes and wetlands. • Conservation and survey of flora, fauna, • Conservation, development, management forests and wildlife, and abatement of pollution of rivers which • Prevention and control of pollution, shall include National River Conservation Directorate. • Afforestation and regeneration of degraded areas, • Environmental Impact Assessment. vi Annual Report 2009-2010 • Environment research and development, • National Assistance to Forestry education, training, information and Development Schemes. awareness. • Indian Plywood Industries Research and • Environmental Health. Training Institute, Bangalore. • Forest Development Agency and Joint • Afforestation and Eco-development which Forest Management Programme for shall include National Afforestation and conservation, management and Eco-Development Board. afforestation. • Desert and Desertification. • Wildlife conservation, preservation, protection planning, research, education, • Forest Survey of India. training and awareness including Project • Indian Institute of Bio-diversity, Itanagar. Tiger and Project Elephant. • Central Pollution Control Board. • International co-operation on issues concerning Environment, Forestry and • G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Wildlife. Environment & Development. • Botanical Survey of India and Botanical • Wildlife Institute of India and Indian Board Gardens. for Wildlife. • Zoological Survey of India. • Indian Institute of Forest Management. • National Museum of Natural History. • Central Zoo Authority including National • Biosphere Reserve Programme. Zoological Park. • National Forest Policy and Forestry • Indian Council of Forestry Research & Development in the country including Education. Social Forestry. • Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest and • All matters relating to Forest and Forest Plantation Development Corporation Administration in the Andaman and Limited. Nicobar Islands. • Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. • Indian Forest Service. • Matters relating to pounds and cattle • Wild Life Preservation and protection of trespass. wild birds and animals. • Gaushalas and Gausadans. • Fundamental and applied research and • training including higher education in The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, forestry. 1960 (59 of 1960). • Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological • The National Environment Tribunal Act, Park. 1995 (27 of 1995). vii Ministry of Environment & Forests • The National Environment Appellate • The Indian Forest Act, 1927 (16 of 1927). Authority Act, 1997 (22 of 1997). • The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of • The Water Prevention and Control of 1972). Pollution Act, 1974 (6 of 1974). • The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (69 • The Water (Prevention and Control of 1980). of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 (36 of • The Environment (Protection), Act, 1986 1977). (29 of 1986). • The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) • The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 Act, 1981 (14 of 1981). (6 of 1991). viii Annual Report 2009-2010CHAPTER – 1 NATURAL RESOURCES – SURVEY AND EXPLORATION 1 1 Ministry of Environment & Forests Survey of Flora Objectives Botanical Survey of India The primary objectives of BSI are as follows: Introduction – Exploration, inventorying and The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documentation of phytodiversity in general is the apex research organization under and protected areas, hotspots and fragile the Ministry of Environment and Forests, ecosystems in particular; publication of Government of India for carrying out National, State and District Floras. taxonomic and floristic studies on wild – Identification of threatened/red list species plant resources of the country. It was and species rich areas needing established on 13th February, 1890 with conservation; ex-situ conservation of the basic objective to explore the plant critically threatened species in botanical resources of the country and to identify gardens. the plants species with economic virtues. Sir George King, the then Superintendent – Survey and documentation of traditional of the ‘Royal Botanic Garden’ Calcutta knowledge (ethno-botany) associated with was appointed as First ex-officio plants. Honorary Director of the BSI. After – Develop a National database of Indian independence the department was reorganized in 1954 by Government of plants, including herbarium and live India as a part of scientific development specimens, botanical paintings/illustrations, of the country. During the successive plan etc. periods, the functional base of BSI was The secondary objectives are: further expanded to include various new – Revisionary/Monographic studies on areas such as inventorying of endemic, rare and threatened plant species; selected plant groups. evolving conservation strategies; studies – Qualitative analysis of nutritive value of on fragile ecosystems and protected ethno-food plants and other economically areas, like wildlife sanctuaries, national useful species. parks and biosphere reserves; – Capacity building in plant taxonomy multiplication and maintenance of through refresher courses and post M.Sc. endemic and threatened plant species, wild ornamentals, etc., in Botanic certificate course. Gardens and Orchidaria; documentation – Environment Impact Assessment of areas of traditional knowledge associated with assigned by the ministry. plants and development of National – Develop and maintain Botanical Gardens, Database of herbarium and live Museums and Herbaria. collections, plant distribution and nomenclature, botanical paintings/ – Preparation of Seed, Pollen and Spore Atlas illustrations, plant uses, etc. of Indian Plants. 2 Annual Report 2009-2010 – Gangetic Plains: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand (Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary), West Bengal (Buxa National Park) – Deccan Peninsula: Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu – Western Ghats: Maharashtra, Karnataka (Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary), Goa (Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigaon Wildlife Sanctuary, Madei & Bondla Wildlife Sanctuaries and Dr. Salim Ali Bird Fig-1. An orchid – beauty of the forests Sanctuary), Kerala, Tamil Nadu Activities undertaken during the year – East Coast: Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (Pulicat Lake to Kodiakarai) Botanical Exploration and Inventorisation of Phytodiversity – Islands: Andaman (Chidiyatapu) & Nicobar, Lakshadweep Field tours and Herbarium consultation tours During field tours, ca one thousand Fifty-two field tours were undertaken nine hundred fifty specimens have been 1 for floristic/ethnobotanical and other studies collected. One thousand three hundred forty of higher and lower groups of plants by of these collected specimens belonging to ca different regional centres and units of BSI three hundred twenty species were identified covering the following areas: by scientists of different regional centres and – Western Himalaya: Himachal Pradesh units which resulted to discovery of one genus (Haripurdhar), Uttarakhand (Govind Pashu and twenty five species as new to science Vihar, Pithoragarh, Dokriani glacier, and twenty one species as new to India. Dingad valley and Hurraglacier valley, Genus new to Science Pauri Garhwal & Rishikesh). – Cymbidiopsis H.J. Chowdhery – Eastern Himalaya: Sikkim (West and South