Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Poaching of tigers, 25/07/2016. The assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators and their prey 2014 using the refined methodology has shown a countrywide 30% increase in tiger numbers with an estimated number of 2226 (range 1945-2491) as compared to 2010 estimation of 1706 (range 1520-1909 tigers). The details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country for the years 2010 and 2014 are at Annexure-I.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Loss of prime forest, 25/07/2016. Forest Survey of India, Dehradun is carrying out the assessment of forest cover of the Country biennially and the findings 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, there is a net increase of 3775 square kilometers in the forest cover of the country as compared with India State of Forest Report-2013. The states/UT wise details of forest cover is given in Annexure.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Loss of forest cover, 25/07/2016. During last ten years and current year, the Central Government has accorded approvals over 2,45,288 ha of forest land in 11580 cases for public and private sector projects. State wise details of approvals granted by the Central Government for use of forest land for such activities is given at Annexure-I

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Incomplete Hydro Power Projects, 25/07/2016. Construction activities on some of the Hydro-Electric Projects (HEPs) in Private sector have been stopped by the developers of these projects. The details of such projects are given at Annex.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Electrification of Villages, 25/07/2016. 86 and 214 villages were electrified during last two years i.e. 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The district-wise details are at Annex-I. As informed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, there are 164 un-electrified villages in the State as on 18.07.2016. The district-wise details of un-electrified villages are at Annex-II.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Conservation of wetlands, 25/07/2016. As per National Wetland Atlas published by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad in 2011, there are a total of 7,57,060 wetlands in the country occupying 15.26 million hectare area (around 4.63% of the geographic area of the country). These include lakes/ponds, ox-bow lakes, high altitude & riverine wetlands, waterlogged areas, rivers/streams, tanks, reservoirs, lagoons, creeks, sand beaches, corals, mangroves, mud flats, salt pans, aquaculture ponds, etc.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Cancer Cases, 22/07/2016. There is an increase in cancer cases in country as per Indian Council of Medical Research’s National cancer Registry data. The details of estimated number of new cancer patients and deaths due to cancer in various states /Union Territories (including State of Uttar Pradesh) for the last three years are given in Annexure 1 and Annexure 2 respectively.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on Food Adulteration, 22/07/2016.As per the information made available by State/UT Governments to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the state-wise details of samples of food articles collected, tested, found not conforming to the prescribed standards and action taken during last three years, are at Annexure-I, II & III.

Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Sanitation Facilities for SC, ST Household, 21/07/2016. State-wise houseless urban population, category-wise, SC, ST and others, as released by the
Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India is at Annexure-I . Data on Houses, Household Amenities & Assets released under Census 2011, provides details of households having latrine, Sanitation and other facilities or otherwise. Details in respect of these facilities, State-wise, is at Annexure-II. RGI has not published household amenities data for SC and ST in Census 2011.

Question raised in Lok Sabha on National Water Projects, 21/07/2016. The criteria for selection of a project as a national project is given at Annexure-I. Sixteen Irrigation Projects have been declared as National Project so far. State & Project-wise details including funds released and expenditure as reported by the States are at Annexure-II.