He held discussions with members of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Central Zoo Authority and Wildlife Institute of India Society.UNION ENVIRONMENT Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired four key meetings in Coimbatore on Thursday related to wildlife policy and conservation matters.He held discussions with members of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Central Zoo Authority and Wildlife Institute of India Society.During the meeting with SC-NBWL, over 100 proposals were appraised for wildlife clearance.The Standing Committee reviewed the progress on wildlife conservation matters and discussed long-term conservation strategies for the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and the Great Indian Bustard.Soon after the SC-NBWL meeting, Yadav announced on X that a second Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick born through the ‘jumpstart’ method on May 21 in Naliya, Gujarat, has survived the initial critical period of 40 days.As part of the ‘jumpstart’ method, an egg from a captive GIB breeding centre was taken to Gujarat. Once there, the fertile egg replaced an infertile egg, and it was incubated by a female GIB.The GIB is a critically endangered bird species whose range is now restricted to Rajasthan and Gujarat, with limited sightings outside these states. The jumpstart method has been used to rewild GIBs raised in two captive breeding centres in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district.Story continues below this adThe SC-NBWL also considered inclusion of the Pygmy Hog species under the Environment Ministry’s Species Recovery Programme, which involves special conservation measures for wildlife that are facing extinction threats.“The Standing Committee considered more than 100 proposals across the country involving activities such as roads and bridges, defence infrastructure, drinking water supply, communication towers…the proposals were appraised on the basis of their ecological impacts, importance for public welfare and national development and the adequacy of mitigation measures to ensure conservation for wildlife and their habitats,” a government press note said.As per the agenda of the SC-NBWL meeting, there were a total of 118 proposals listed for appraisal, including 24 defence sector projects, 23 related to roads and bridges, 12 of power transmission lines, among others. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More Tags:Bhupender YadavNational Board for Wildlife