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Union Budget 2022-23 – Rs 3,030 Crore allocated to Environment Ministry

Union Budget 2022-23 – Rs 3,030 Crore allocated to Environment Ministry

NEW DELHI: Tuesday’s Centre budget allocation for the Union Environment Ministry was increased by 5.6% from the previous fiscal, but the allocation for pollution control was reduced by Rs 10 million.
However, the government increased the Budget for National Mission for Green India to Rs 290 crore in last financial year. This year, Rs 361.69 crore was allotted for the national afforestation program, which is Rs 300 crore more than the Rs 235 crore allocated last year.
Nirmala Sitharaman is the Union Finance Minister. She has allocated Rs 3,030 Crore to the ministry for the financial year 2022-223. Rs 460 Crore was allotted to pollution control. This is Rs 10 less than the Budget last year.
In her speech, she highlighted India’s commitment in reducing its carbon footprint and stated that the Budget proposes a number of near-term as well as long-term actions.
“The greatest negative externalities that can affect India and other countries are climate change’s risks. At the COP26 summit in Glasgow last Nov, the prime minister stated that ‘what is required today is mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless, destructive consumption.
“The low carbon development strategy that he outlined in the Panchamrit is a clear reflection of our government’s strong commitment toward sustainable development. This strategy will create huge employment opportunities and lead the country on a sustainable growth path. Sitharaman stated that the budget includes both short-term and long-term measures.
However, the finance minister maintained the same budget allocation as the previous year under the heading Climate Change Action Plan at Rs 30 crore.
The Union Budget also reduced the budgetary allocation for Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for managing air quality in the capital region and adjacent areas. It was originally set at 20 crore in 2021-22, but it has been lowered to Rs 17 million this fiscal year.
Control of Pollution was designed to provide financial assistance for Pollution Control Boards/Committees as well as funding to the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in January 2019.
The government-initiated projects Project Tiger (wildlife) saw an increase in allocation this year. The former was increased by Rs 50 crore, while the latter was increased by Rs 2 million.
Project Tiger, an initiative to conserve the wildcat, saw its allocation go up from Rs 250 crore in last year’s budget to Rs 300 million this time.
The Project saw an earlier reduction of Rs 100 million in two consecutive financial years, which were 2020-21 and 2221-22. It was allocated Rs 350 crore in 2019-20. It was reduced to Rs 300 crore by 2020-21 and Rs 250 crore by 2021-22.
Project Elephant’s budget, which was established to conserve jumbos in the country, has been increased by Rs 33 crore to Rs 35 crore.
The budget for National Tiger Conservation Authority was Rs 10 crore. It is a statutory agency under the ministry responsible to tiger census and conservation.
The Central Zoo Authority allocation was reduced from Rs 11 Crore last year to Rs ten crore this year.
The budget for National Coastal Mission, nearly doubled in last fiscal at Rs 20 crore, was reduced by Rs 5 million this year and now stands at Rs 195crore for 2022-23.
In 2020-21, Rs 103 crore was allotted to the NCM. The government doubled the amount in 2021-22, at Rs 200 crore.
The National Coastal Mission entitles the environment ministry to ensure the livelihood security of coastal communities, including fisher folk, to conserve and protect the coast stretches, and to promote sustainable development based upon scientific principles.
The Centre also increased the budgetary allocation for National Mission for Himalayan Studies to Rs 8 crore. It also increased the amount for various regional offices, statutory institutes, such as Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Forest Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India and National Green Tribunal, from Rs 460 crore in 2021-22, to Rs 487 crore this fiscal year.
The funds for ‘environment information and capacity building’ were also increased from Rs70 crore to Rs 78.62 million last year. It is the umbrella scheme that covers all sectors and has two sub-schemes: Forestry Training and Capacity Building and Eco Task Force.
The budget for environmental education, awareness, and training was also reduced from Rs. 77.13 crore to Rs. 58 crore in 2021-22 to 2022-23.
Budget this year also reduced the total allocation to five autonomous bodies within the environment ministry.
The five autonomous bodies G B Pant Himalayan Institute of Environment and Development and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and Indian Institute of Forest Management Research and Training Institute and Wildlife Institute of India were allotted Rs 287.45 Crore this year, as opposed to Rs 305.5 Crore in the last fiscal.
The budget for regulatory and statutory bodies was also reduced from Rs 160.5 crore last fiscal to 154.5 crore in this fiscal. These bodies include the Central Pollution Control Board and Animal Welfare Board, Central Zoo Authority, Central Zoo Authority, National Biodiversity Authority National Tiger Conservation Authority, Commission for Air Quality Management, and Central Zoo Authority.
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