Question raised in Lok Sabha on Contamination of Ground Water, 01/12/2016. Ground water quality data generated by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) during various scientific studies and ground water quality monitoring indicates that ground water in isolated pockets in parts of various States including Delhi and Bihar is contaminated with Fluoride, Nitrate, Arsenic, etc.The number of Blocks in each State, affected with ground water contamination are given at Annexure-I.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Open Defecation Free Cities, 30/11/2016. The state-wise names of cities declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) are enclosed as annexure-I. A declaration has to be obtained from all wards of the city/town, without exception, declaring respective wards as ODF. City municipal administrations have to obtain a self-declaration of ODF from all the wards of the city as per due process. After obtaining the declaration, the city municipal administration may pass a preliminary resolution declaring the city to be ODF.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Project Tiger, 29/11/2016. Project Tiger is implemented in 50 tiger reserves spread over 18 tiger range States of the country as of now. It is one of the most successful conservation programme in the world which has brought the endangered tiger on assured path of recovery. The total funds released to the tiger range States under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger since 2014, year and State-wise is at Annexure-I. Sufficient funds have been provided to the tiger reserves, inter alia including those of the State of Maharashtra.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Common Effluent Treatment Plants, 29/11/2016. According to Central Pollution Control Board, 193 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) are installed in the country with combined capacity of 1474 Million Litres per Day (MLD) which is given at Annexure – I. There are 920 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in different States/UTs including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal out of which, 615 STPs are operational, 80 STPs are non-operational, 154 STPs are under construction and 71 STPs are under planning stage. The details of the STPs are given at Annexure – II.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Population of tigers, 28/11/2016. The assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators and their prey 2014 using the refined methodology has shown estimated number of 2226 (range 1945-2491) tigers in the country. The State-wise details are at Annexure-I. All India Tiger Estimation, 2014 has shown a countrywide 30% increase in tiger numbers with an estimated number of 2226 (range 1945-2491 tigers) as compared to 2010 estimation of 1706 (range 1520-1909 tigers).

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Open defecation free villages, 28/11/2016. As per the information uploaded by the States/UTs on the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), State/UT-wise, number of villages that have declared themselves as Open Defecation Free (ODF) as on 22.11.2016 is at Annexure-1. State/UT-wise, number of ODF Districts/Blocks/Villages (both declared and verified) is at Annexure-2. District-wise, number of ODF Blocks/Villages in Chhattisgarh (both declared and verified) is at Annexure-3.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Decrease in forest cover, 28/11/2016. Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, a subordinate organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has been carrying out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially. The findings of the assessment are published in India State of Forest Report. The latest report in the series is India State of Forest Report 2015. As per this report, the total forest cover of the country is 7, 01,673 square kilometers which is 21.34% of the total geographical area of the country.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Air pollution in the National Capital, 28/11/2016. The air pollution in National Capital Region (NCR) reached severe category as per Air Quality Index (AQI) recently during Diwali and first week of November, 2016.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Survey on Inter-Linking of Rivers, 24/11/2016. Under the National Perspective Plan for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, NWDA has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The pre-feasibility report of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Govts. by the NWDA.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Subsidy for Power Generation, 24/11/2016. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provides incentives/subsidy/central financial assistance to the producers and consumers for power generation from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources under various Renewable Energy Programmes as per details given in Annexure.