MP: ‘A forest-based economy model to be developed to conserve wild-ecosystem’

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that a forest-based economy would be developed in the state conserving jungles and wildlife while reviewing the Cheetah Rehabilitation Project in Sheopur district along with Union Minister for Forest Bhupendra Yadav on Monday.

The Cheetah project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, his birthday, 2022 with the release of 8 Namibian Cheetahs in the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. At present, there are 21 cheetahs in the Kuno, and 20 African and Namibian felines have been brought into the park so far under the project.

CM Dr Yadav said: “In future, around 2 Lakh people will get employment in Kuno. A work plan will be made to develop the state as an eco-tourism.”

“To make the state an eco-tourism hub, a work plan will be made by the state government. By forming a separate cell, work will be done over a forest-based economy”, Dr Yadav said.

“This will help in running an employment-oriented economy and in future, about 2 Lakh people will get employment in the KNP itself. Such activities will also be conducted in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (GSS)”, he added.

A new model of the forest-based economy would be developed in the state with the cooperation of the Centre, ensuring the conservation of water, forests, land and wildlife, he further added. “Economy-based activities will employ the people at the local level’, the CM said.

Cheetahs to be brought to Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi Sanctuaries

On this occasion, Union Minister Yadav said that in the next five years, Kuno would be set up as an international tourist destination and its economy would be of around Rs 1000 crores.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said that there were ten forest regions of the country had been identified for cheetah relocation, three out of them in MP including Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi.

“Cheetahs will be translocated to GSS and Nauradehi Sanctuaries in the state from Africa and Namibia shortly. Teams would be visiting there soon”, the Union Minister said.

The KNP has the potential to draw more than 40,000 tourists, keeping in view that arrangements will be made to conduct other activities along with cheetah rehabilitation, Minister Yadav also said.

“To provide facilities to tourists, special training in cooking, becoming forest guides, and photography will be provided to the locals, “ he further said.

Elephant project to be establish in MP

At the request of the CM, the Union Minister announced that an Elephant Project would also be launched in the state, making the Gajmitras locals, would be educated to protect them from elephants.

A central team will visit Madhya Pradesh which will study the experiences of Assam and Kerala along with the behaviour of the elephant herds here and will submit its report in this regard to the state government.

MP is the focal point of eco-tourism, maximum forests, sanctuaries and tiger reserves are found here as compared to other states. A circuit is formed with the KNP, the Kuno will be developed as an eco-tourism hub along a central eco-tourism. MoS of the Union Forest Nagar Singh Chouhan and Congress MLA Ram Niwas Rawat were present on this occasion.