Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced a special scheme called ‘Amrit Dharohar’ for protecting vital wetlands which sustain aquatic biodiversity.

• The scheme aims to achieve sustainable ecosystem development with the help of local communities.
• It falls under ‘Green Growth’, one of the seven priorities of the budget.
• The Prime Minister has given a vision for ‘LiFE’, or Lifestyle for Environment, to spur a movement of environmentally conscious lifestyle, said Sitharaman during her budget speech.
• India currently has 75 Ramsar sites, which are wetlands of international importance that have been designated under the criteria of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
• These wetlands have rare or unique biodiversity and play a huge role in protecting the ecological biodiversity of a region. “Local communities have always been at the forefront of conservation efforts,” Sitharaman added.