Budget 2023| Environment gets little attention, only 1 per cent rise in allocation
Even the flagship projects such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant have not received much attention. This budget collectively received Rs 331.80 crore, against last year’s Rs 335 crore.
Published: 02nd February 2023 07:59 AM | Last Updated: 03rd February 2023 08:06 AM | A+A A-
Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations | Soumyadip Sinha)
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has received little attention in the Budget. There is just one per cent increase in the budgetary allocation compared to last year. The budgetary allocation is Rs 3,079.40 crore, just 1 per cent higher than last year’s allocation of Rs 3,030 crore. Some crucial centrally sponsored schemes such as the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) National Afforestation Programme and Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems have witnessed a cut in allocation in this budget.
GIM, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change to protect, restore and enhance India’s forest cover, has received only Rs 167.28 crore. Last year, this project had received Rs 300 crore. The project is meant to increase the forest/tree cover and improve the existing forest quality.
Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems received an allocation of Rs 38.40 crore, whereas it was Rs 48.40 crore last year. Even the flagship projects such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant have not received much attention. This budget collectively received Rs 331.80 crore, against last year’s Rs 335 crore.
Even the cheetah project has yet to receive any special attention. PM’s Project Cheetah doet not receive fund Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project Cheetah is yet to receive any separate fund allocation under the budget 2024.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), declared extinct in 1952 in India, was introduced in September last year from Namibia with much fanfare to relocate and rehabilitate in the wild of Kuno-Palpur National Park (KNP), Madhya Pradesh.
The Prime Minister, on his birthday, organised a mega event to welcome cheetahs to quarantine enclosures in KNP. Globally, it is the first effort being made to introduce a large carnivore across continents into the wild. No separate allocation of funds for Cheetah conservation has disappointed many people who are engaged in the project. One of the officers said they were expecting a separate flagship programme.
Lower allocation
National Afforestation Programme and Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) witnessed a cut in allocation in this budget
The budget allocation is L3,079.40 crore, just 1 per cent higher than last year’s allocation of Rs 3,030 crore.
