Highlighting the potential of eco-tourism in the Terai region, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Friday said eco-tourism is growing rapidly from Chuka to Kartaniya Ghat, Dudhwa and Amangarh.
Adityanath attended the concluding session of the Wildlife Week at Mustafabad Guest House in Pilibhit and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 26 projects worth Rs 248 crore.
The forest department has taken significant steps, including the development of 10 wetlands, to enhance eco-tourism opportunities, said the chief minister, who honoured several officials of the forest department and visited an exhibition organised at the venue.
Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said the existence of humans depends on animals and the water ecosystem.
In Indian philosophy, the earth is referred to as the mother, and all living beings are considered her children.
As living beings, we all coexist, whether a creature is domesticated or wild. Any crisis affecting animals and the ecosystem directly endangers human existence,” he said.
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The chief minister said the double-engine government has continuously been striving for development. “We are developing everyone,” he said.
Adityanath said international organisations have conducted a joint survey, and the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) has been awarded the first global award in the survey. He noted that in 2014, there were 25 tigers in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, which grew to 65 by 2018, and the state, which had 173 tigers, now has more than 205 tigers.
He said the PTR has been given the international ‘Tiger X2 Award’ by Midori Paxton, UNDP Head of the Ecosystem and Biodiversity Programme.
Talking about the human-wildlife conflict, the chief minister said, “To address the loss of lives in such conflicts, the government declared it a disaster, ensuring a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the affected families. Over the past six years, the forest department has been transformed into a ‘model’ through active public participation.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First published on: 07-10-2023 at 06:43 IST