The story of an injured Saras crane, which was brought home by 35-year-old Mohammad Arif in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi last February was all over the place on social media. The bird recovered in time and was sent to a nearby zoo but the caretaker, Arif, was booked under the wildlife laws. “We should inform the authorities even if we are taking care of the endangered species," said environment and forest minister Bhupender Yadav at the News18 Rising India Summit 2023 on Thursday.
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“There is no harm in taking care of such species in a conscious manner. It is our responsibility to protect the endangered species on earth," Yadav added.
When asked if the action by the authorities was taken because of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the government for taking away the bird from Arif and sending him a legal notice, Yadav said the action was taken according to the local law.
Yadav mentioned that poaching is the biggest wildlife crime in the country today when the issue of elephant deaths was raised at the News18 summit.
As far as Project Elephant is concerned, India will complete 30 years in 2023, and 33 elephant reserves have been officially declared. Even the Oscar winner documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ has also shown the human-elephant interaction and empathy in India, the minister said.
Nearly 41 elephants were killed between 2018 and 2022, and 25 were poisoned. Also, 2,544 people were mauled by elephants in the same period, according to the government data.
“We issue many guidelines on man-animal conflict," Yadav said.
The minister further said Project Tiger will complete 50 years in 2023, and on April 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bandipur in Karnataka. “We are working to preserve other species such as dolphins, cheetah, lions. There are 53 tiger reserves in the country. When we strike a balance with nature, then we will be able to procure water and bio-diversity," he added.
When asked about advising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the disqualification matter in the capacity of a lawyer, Yadav said he had to leave bar council after taking up the post of minister. The investigation has been done as per court. “Nobody can do anything about the court’s decision… Why are you criticising the court? The Opposition should be asked why are they not allowing Parliament to run?" he said.
The minister also said when the government was ready to answer to the Opposition’s questions, the leaders protested in black clothes in Parliament, and blocked the proceedings of the House. “Rahul (Gandhi) went to a foreign country and defamed India that he is not able to speak in Indian Parliament…But he spoke for 52 minutes in Parliament," Yadav added.
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