Prepare action plan for conservation of state animal, bird: CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the forest department officials to prepare an action plan for the conservation of the state bird Sarus (crane) and the state animal Barasingha (swamp deer).

Chairing the 14th meeting of the UP State Wildlife Board, Yogi said, "The development works of Kukrail Night Safari in Lucknow and Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Chitrakoot, should be expedited. In this regard, the Wildlife Department, Urban Development, PWD, and Housing Department should together prepare a good action plan."

He said that these two initiatives will give the state's biodiversity and natural beauty new identities. "Both of these new places will be a gift for nature lovers. Action should be taken in this regard on a priority basis," he said.

The CM said that the number of tigers is increasing in the state due to planned efforts. "In the year 2014, there were a total of 117 tigers in the state, which increased to 173 in 2018. In a recently released report the presence of 804 tigers in the Shivalik and Ganga plain landscapes has been confirmed. This is good news. We should keep up our efforts to conserve biodiversity," he said.

He said that it is encouraging that the Namami Gange project has led to an increase in the population of dolphins in the Ganga, which is becoming more pure and clean. "Similarly, 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 directed.

Yogi said that the members of the State Wildlife Board should conduct an expert visit to the eco-tourism destinations and wildlife sanctuaries to learn more about them and to help shape the potential for nature tourism. "The Forest and Tourism departments should prepare a coordinated policy for the development of eco-tourism with mutual coordination," he said.

He said that the incidents of human-wildlife conflict have been increasing in recent times. "In the last 2 years, 28 leopards, 5 leopard cubs, and 06 tigers were successfully rescued. The highest standards should be followed with extreme sensitivity when rescuing wild animals," he directed.

The CM said that efforts to promote wetland conservation and tourism have yielded good results. "So far, 10 Ramsar sites have been declared in the state full of natural beauty. Among these, the Upper Ganga River, Bulandshahr, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Etawah, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Unnao, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Hardoi, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, Rae Bareilly, Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary, Gonda, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Mainpuri, Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Agra, Bakhira Bird Sanctuary, Sant Kabirnagar, Haiderpur Wetland, Muzaffarnagar, are included," he said

He said that awareness of wetland conservation should be increased and tourism facilities should be developed here. "There are numerous opportunities for ecotourism around Sant Kabir Nagar's Bakhira Lake. Prepare a better action plan for the development here. This effort will also give rise to new possibilities for employment at the local level," he said.

The CM said that flash floods cause the embankments of the Mahav Nala, which is located in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Division of the Maharajganj district, to collapse during the rainy season. "Waterlogging also affects wildlife. 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 said.

He directed to send a proposal for prior approval from the Standing Committee of National Wildlife Board for transfer or change in land use for implementation of various projects of Jal Jeevan Mission, such as drinking water, laying of optical fiber and road widening in forest areas of various districts of the state. (UNI)