New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS): Aiming at the holistic conservation and restoration of lakes and wetlands to enhance water quality and improve biodiversity, the cabinet Thursday approved a Rs.900 crore scheme for a new integrated National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal for the merger of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) into the NPCA.

At present, the environment and forests ministry implements the two separate schemes for conservation of lakes and wetlands.

"To avoid an overlap, promote better synergies and ensure conservation and management works, an integrated scheme NPCA is approved," said an official release.

The new scheme aims at conserving aquatic ecosystems (lakes and wetlands), through implementation of sustainable conservation plans.

The scheme would lead to reduction of pollution loads and improvement in goods and services provided by these water bodies to stakeholders, said the release.

The new scheme will operate during the 12th Five Year Plan and cost Rs.900 crore on a 70:30 cost sharing basis between the centre and the states.

The sharing for northeast states would be in the 90:10 ratio