Conservation Projects in India

Under the protection act of wildlife, 1972, section 2(37), wildlife has been introduced to include terrestrial or aquatic animals and any vegetation which forms a habitat. Wildlife has played a significant role to balance and saving the environment which also includes investigatory, biological diversities, economic, cultural and gene bank importance. There are a lot of protection laws for wildlife in India. The legislation act of wildlife protection 1972, has implemented the protection of wild plants, birds and animals. 

Indian Conservation

According to the Indian constitution article 51A(g), it has been included in the list of citizens’ fundamental duties to protect any type of natural living creatures and wildlife. Besides this act, Article 48A has provided that it is a fundamental duty of states to safeguard, protect and implement necessary work for the country’s wildlife and forest improvement. Under the constitution’s concurrent list, wild birds and animals have been included. For example, List 3, schedule 7 has been included in this protection. This subject has been depictibale among the state and union government for capturing the power to maintain and govern this issue. Conservation has been defined as the restoration, protection and preservation of the wildlife and natural environment. In the climate crisis era, the demolition of wildlife, environment and nature have become highly evident. The natural resources are irreversibly depleting due to heavy globalization and industrialization. To provide the opportunities of these natural resources to the future generation, this article has provided this conservation into fundamental duties. As they are also a nature’s significant part of nature, therefore, it has become mandatory to protect them.

Wildlife conservation

For the case Murad Ali vs Bihar state (1989), it has decided that hunting of any wild animal is an offence as per the protection of wildlife. As per the Indian constitution section 2(16) protection act of the wildlife, the hunting has been discussed as a criminal act. As per the constitution, there are a lot of conservation projects have been implemented to secure the wildlife members more secure. Some of the terrestrial conservation projects are:

Snow Leopard Project: The Snow Leopard’s species generally inhabits the landscape of Himalayas, and states like Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. The wildlife protection act 1972, has included this species in the vulnerable category. In addition, this species has also been included in the CMS and CITES list which considers as the most needed conservation status both internationally and nationally. Every year, 23 October is celebrated as the international day of Snow Leopard. The Indian government has launched a project on the Snow Leopard named “the first national protocol population assessment of Snow Leopard”. This project has included the use of scientific surveys and cameras to protect them.

Project Tiger: At the 20th-century end, Indian Tigers population declined dramatically and rapidly. To assume the total population of Indian Tigers, in 1972, the Indian government conducted a census. Large development of railway projects, mines, dams and industry establishment has led to their habitat loss. In the traditional medicines of China, different parts of tigers are used, so, they started to decline them by killing them largely. As per the case of Rajasthan state vs Sansar (2010), the government arrested this person for killing and smuggling different body parts of Tigers into different countries, especially in China. As per sections 428 and 429, all acts relating to maiming, killing and poaching of any type of wild animals is a criminal offence under the 1860 IPC. The government has decided under the 428 section if anybody has found these activities will be punished for two years imprisonment and five years imprisonment under 429 section.  

Water conservation

The conservation of water includes all activities, strategies and policies to manage and use fresh water’s natural resources sustainably to save the hydrosphere for fulfilling the future and current demands of the generation. In this way, water scarcity may be avoided. The quantity of used water is affected by the household size, population, affluence and growth. Climate change has become one of the significant factors that are affecting the natural resources of water by increasing pressure both on the agricultural irrigation and manufacturing process. India has implemented some policies for water conservation. According to the policy, some key activities must be followed such as water loss beneficial reduction, waste resource reuse, avoiding water quality damages, the management practices improvement that enhances and reconstruct the beneficial uses of water and agricultural and commercial application.

Conclusion

Wildlife plays an important role to protect both the natural resources and wild birds, animals so that the future generation may get help from them and get opportunities from them. Besides this, the foremost importance of conservation projects is to maintain and control biodiversity in a good manner. Due to rapid climate change, the variety of wild animals and birds are declining day by day. According to the protection act of wildlife 1972, the wildlife concept has been discussed to include both vegetation and terrestrial or aquatic animals as they both are important members to maintain the environment.