Lucknow, Apr 18 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials on Tuesday to prepare an action plan for the protection of state animal swamp deer (barasingha) and state bird sarus crane.
The chief minister also pointed out that the number of tigers has been increasing in the state due to planned efforts.
Addressing the 14th meeting of the Uttar Pradesh State Wildlife Board, Adityanath said, “We have to make planned efforts for the protection of the state animal barasingha (swamp deer) and state bird sarus crane. An action plan should be prepared and presented in this regard.” He said there were 117 tigers in the state in 2014 and the figure went up to 173 in 2018.
“In a report released recently, the presence of 804 tigers in the Shivalik Hills and the Gangetic Plain landscapes has been confirmed. This is good news. We should keep up our efforts to conserve biodiversity,” Adityanath said.
The projects of Kukrail Night Safari in Lucknow and Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Chitrakoot should be expedited, he said.
The wildlife, urban development, public works and housing departments should together prepare an action plan in this regard, the chief minister added.
“These two initiatives will give the state’s biodiversity and natural beauty new identities. Both these new places will be a gift for nature lovers. Action should be taken in this regard on a priority basis,” he said.
It is encouraging that the Namami Gange project has led to an increase in the dolphin population in the Ganga river, which is becoming more pure and clean, Adityanath added.
He directed the State Wildlife Board members to conduct an expert visit to the ecotourism destinations and wildlife sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh to learn more about these places and help shape the potential for nature tourism.
The forest and tourism departments should prepare a coordinated policy for the development of ecotourism, he said.
Incidents of human-wildlife conflict have been increasing in recent times, the chief minister pointed out, adding, “In the last two years, 28 leopards, five leopard cubs and six tigers were successfully rescued. The highest standards should be followed with extreme sensitivity when rescuing wild animals.” Efforts to promote wetland conservation and tourism have yielded good results, he said.
“There are numerous opportunities for ecotourism around Sant Kabir Nagar’s Bakhira lake. Prepare a better action plan for its development. This effort will also give rise to new possibilities for employment at the local level,” he added.
During the rainy season, flash floods cause the embankments of the Mahav nala, located in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Division in Maharajganj district, to collapse, Adityanath said.
“Waterlogging also affects wildlife. The Mahav nala is a major reason for the flood problem in the district. It must widen and deepen. Timely action should be taken in this regard after consulting experts,” he told the officials.
The chief minister asked them to send a proposal for prior approval from the standing committee of the National Wildlife Board for a transfer or change in land use for the implementation of various Jal Jeevan Mission projects, such as for drinking water, laying optical fibre and road widening in forest areas. PTI ABN RC
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