E-Paper
U.P. plans to develop a dolphin park, 4th tiger reserve
The Ranipur Sanctuary in Chitrakoot will be developed as a tiger reserve in a 630 sq kilometre area and would be the state’s fourth tiger reserve.
Uttar Pradesh will soon have a dolphin park, and a work plan will be prepared for the same, the state wildlife board decided in its 13th meeting chaired by the chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
“The number of dolphins has gone up due to the Namami Gange project. A work plan for the dolphin park shall be prepared soon,” the statement added.
The Ranipur Sanctuary in Chitrakoot will be developed as a tiger reserve in a 630 sq kilometre area and would be the state’s fourth tiger reserve. The state had 117 tigers in 2014, and in 2018 there were 173 tigers in the state. At present, the number is around 200.
For the night safari and modern zoo to be developed in the Kukrail forest area in Lucknow, different departments such as forest, urban development, PWD, and Awas Vikas were asked to coordinate during the meeting.
Additionally, a one-district-one-destination (ODOD) project will be launched in which various spots will be developed to boost eco-tourism. In 56 districts, such spots have already been selected. In the remaining districts, the selection of spots will be done soon, said the press statement from the state government.
The members said local youth will be trained to act as ‘nature guides’ at these spots and will be given an adequate honorarium. The members also proposed that man-animal conflicts should be reduced.
In addition, four new rescue centres will be built in the state after the CM laid the foundation for them. These centres are coming up in Hastinapur (Meerut forest division), Madhwalia (Maharajganj), Bahilpurwa (Chitrakoot forest division) and Gopalpur (Pilibhit Tiger reserve). They should be completed in the next two years; the officials were directed.
