India to enlist endangered animal, plant species in Red list

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) In a bid to strengthen its
efforts at conservation of endangered plant and animal
species, India has decided to initiate the Red listing process
on regular basis.
A high-level Environment Ministry panel has decided to
bring its first report on the country's endangered species --
both plants and animals -- by the end of next year.
"To begin with, two documents, one each on 'Red list
of Indian Plants' and 'Red list of Indian Animals' would be
released during the COP-11 of the Convention on Biological
Diversity to be held in New Delhi in October 2012," a Ministry
document said.
The Red listing process would follow the framework of
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
regional guidelines and criteria, it said.
The document was prepared by the 10-member steering
committee, chaired by Jagdish Kishwan, Additional Director
General of Forests (Wildlife).
Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey
of India (ZSI) would be the focal points for the Red listing
of plant and animal species, respectively.
The Ministry decided to carry out the Red listing
process on a regular basis to end the "paucity of information
for the general public on the status, biology and major
threats to the endangered species" of the country, which has a
staggering variety of flora and fauna.
Many organisations are working independently in the
country on the Red listing process. The Ministry would provide
necessary coordinating mechanism to integrate the efforts of
scientific and voluntary organisations into a scientifically
acceptable useful output.
"The directors of BSI and ZSI would co-opt as many
experts -- both individuals and organisations -- as required,
to form a core group, each for plants and animal
species separately for completion of the Red listing exercise
within the stipulated time period," the document said.
The Steering Committee would monitor and guide the
process of Red listing and the divisions concerned of the
Ministry would allocate necessary budgetary provisions for
undertaking the exercise.
Last month, the Ministry in collaboration with the
ZSI, had released a comprehensive document on 'Critically
Endangered Animal Species of India'.
As per the latest (2011) quantitative evaluation done
by the IUCN, there are 57 critically endangered species of
animals in India.