MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has decided to boost eco-tourism in the buffer areas of woodlands to improve the deteriorating condition of forests as well as generate a source of income for the state exchequer, according to a CMO official.
The state government hopes to generate an annual income of Rs 10000 crore by enhancing inflow of international tourists near Tadoba and Pench in the Vidarbha region.
“We will develop the entire region around Tadoba and Pench into an eco-tourism zone so that we can attract international tourists there. It has been calculated that around eight million people visit India every year,” Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Praveen Pardeshi told PTI.
“If we could attract only ten per cent of tourists to the forests of Vidarbha, we would have about eight lakh people visiting us yearly. Say if they spend about 200 dollars a day for only around four days, the state would earn an annual income of Rs 10,000 crore,” he said.
The IAS officer said that until now, the government’s focus was on core forest areas, but focus would now be shifted towards buffer zones.
“By focusing on buffer zones, that is areas around the forests, and developing them into eco-tourism zones, the entire livelihood of people living in jungles and around sanctuaries can be transformed. Then, instead of people thinking of cutting wood to earn a livelihood, they will look at tourists as a source of livelihood. That way they will themselves ensure that trees are protected,” he said.
Ruling out industrialization at the cost of forests, Pardeshi said that conserving forests is of utmost importance in new government’s the vision.
“When the government says it is committed towards Maharashtra’s development, it does not mean forests will be neglected. In fact, forests are being given utmost importance even in the vision of the new government.
“Wildlife conservation, rehabilitation of villages from wildlife sanctuaries and ensuring that there is reduced man-animal conflict will be of prime importance,” he said.
“We see a lot of animals straying out of forests and attacking people who collect fuel wood. The target is to make all these families stop using wood as a fuel.
“This will be done by providing them alternatives like cooking gas, biogas and solar energy so that they don’t have to cut trees for their fuel wood requirement and therefore also not get into conflicts with wild animals,” he said.
He said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is keen to ensure that special critical habitats like mangroves as well as wildlife corridors between Tadoba and Nagzira, besides Pench and Bor sanctuaries are protected, so that wildlife movement in these areas continues uninterrupted.
Maharashtra state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that forest staff has long been neglected. “In order to make working in forests a lucrative job, the government would balance pay scales of officials and ensure periodical promotions and incentives,” he said.
“Forest guards have been saying that their pay scales are roughly 25 per cent below talathis, though they live and work in dense jungles. I have held a meeting in this regard and their proposal is under consideration,” Mungantiwar said. -PTI
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