Ecotourism is a responsible journey of natural areas where environmental protection works hand in hand with the participation of local communities, said Forest Minister of Uttarakhand Dinesh Agarwal while addressing a Press conference on the subject here on Thursday and informed that the draft of State ecotourism policy has been prepared and soon it would be notified. He said that the forest department has renovated 69 forest rest houses and set up Eco tourism Corporation limited. Agarwal listed promotion of natural tourism and adventure tourism like tracking, rock climbing, camping, rafting and ropeway as objective behind setting up of the corporation.
He informed that a forest cycling event would be organised fromNovember 20 – 25 between Asharodi to Kadwapani in Dehradun. Similarly Rajpur Nature Festival would be organised fromNovember 05 to 07 in which events like heritage walk, bird watching, nature trails, cultural programme, painting and photography would be held.
The Minister said that the department has organised 35 training programmes for bird watching and nature guides in which 864 youths got training. He disclosed that 30 ecotourism circuits – 15 each in Garhwal and Kumaon- have been selected in the sates and the ecotourism activities would be held in the villages covered under these circuits which would help in employment generation at local levels.
Agarwal said that the government is committed to develop wild life tourism in the state.
The department would organize first leopard safari in Haridwar forest range and tiger safari in Corbett National Park. The department would also organize nature camps and mountain biking in Nandhor and set up Reptile Park in Martula, Ramganga River.
The Malsi deer park would be upgraded as Mini Zoo. The minister claimed that the Ecotourim Corporation is developing tracking activities in the state and has earmarked 273 such routes in state.
He said that the expertise and help of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is being undertaken in this regard.
The minister said that the department is doing all possible activities to reduce the menace of monkeys in the state.
He said that the state has 1.5 lakh monkeys out of which 7000 have been caught and relocated. The minister said that the monkey menace is grave in mountainous areas and the department has been asked to work in these areas.