The Forest department will soon launch two more safari tours into the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Nagarkurnool district, in an effort to promote eco-tourism.
Of the two tours, both originating from Uma Maheshwaram temple, one will proceed towards Rushula Cheruvu and the other to Domalapenta areas.
Minister for Environment and Forests A.Indrakaran Reddy informed about the tours while launching the revamped ‘Tiger Stay Package’ at Mannanur on Friday. Already, two tours exist, to Farhabad and Gundam, as part of the package.
He launched six newly built cottages, and eight newly procured Safari vehicles, besides launching online bookings for the Tiger Stay Package.
Mr.Indrakaran Reddy said tiger numbers have increased in the reserve, as witnessed from camera trap images captured during census. Big cat sightings are being reported every 15 days, he said, while launching a coffee table book with images of all the tigers. Listing out various initiatives by the department, he credited the improvement in greenery to Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao’s initiatives such as Green Budget.
The Minister also informed about initiatives by the department, to involve local people in forestry and eco-tourism activities.
In order to improve their employability, 19 local youth have been sent for hospitality training at National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and 15 have been trained in driving the safari vehicles. Besides, a test was conducted to select enthusiastic youth to work as tourist guides. A workshop has been set up for women in jute bag manufacture, he informed. These apart, 200 apiculture units have been distributed for production of honey.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.M.Dobriyal said local people should benefit from every eco-tourism initiative. Expressing hope that more villages would come forward for relocation packages, he said it’s important to create inviolate spaces for tigers so that they stay inside the forests.
MP P.Ramulu, MLA Guvvala Balaraju and Telangana State Forest Development Corporation chairperson V.Pratap Reddy attended the event.
COMMents
SHARE