Over the years, there has been an increase in the cases of illegal hunting and poaching. This has been a cause for concern among environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts. The government of India has taken care to develop policies so as to curb this inhuman practice. In order to protect the flora and fauna, the government of India has done many things. Some of them are:
(i) About fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect both flora and fauna. Four out of these—the Sunderbans (West Bengal), Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand), Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu) and Nilgiris (Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) have been included in the world network of Biosphere Reserves.
(ii) Since 1992, financial and technical assistance is being provided to many botanical gardens by the government.
(iii) Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard and many other eco-developmental projects have been introduced.
(iv) About 89 national parks, 49 wildlife sanctuaries and zoological gardens have been set up to take care of the natural heritage.
