Lucknow :
You need not look far for your next holiday. The state government is now offering eco-tourism packages in selected sanctuaries including the Nawabganj bird sanctuary.
At the start of the tourist season in October, there will be eco-tourism packages for Sandi (Hardoi), Katarniaghat, Chuka (Pilibhit) and Samaspur (Rae Bareli). Bookings of rest houses will be made online, making the allotment process fair.
“We plan to first equip a few centres will all tourist facilities,” said forest corporation MD Iqbal Singh. The forest department’s website has information on different categories of eco-tourism packages. It also has sections for nature lovers and eco-tourism sites in the state.
Uttar Pradesh has one national park, 11 wildlife and 24 bird sanctuaries but eco-tourism has been limited to Dudhwa National Park and a few locations around it. The state has never had an eco-tourism policy.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved an eco-tourism policy with four guiding principles: conserving environment, developing community-based tourism, developing partnership with the private sector and creating and upgrading infrastructure facilities for tourists in wildlife sanctuaries.
The forest department has tied up with an NGO to promote ?environment education’, also a part of eco-tourism. A conservator-level officer has been appointed only for promoting eco-tourism.
“It also aims at gainful employment of local people,” said the official. Locals, mostly rural folks, will be encourages to play hosts or guides to tourists and will be paid for the services.
Potential eco-tourism sites in UP
Katarniaghat on Gerua river in Bahraich; Chuka ghat in Pilibhit on Sharda dam; Chambal ravines in Agra; Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao; Chandraprabha Rajdari waterfalls and Deodari waterfalls in Varanasi; Sarsainawar Sarus Sanctuary in Etawah; Sandi Bird Sanctuary in Hardoi; Noida Bird Sanctuary and Kalpi river cruise in Yamuna in Jalaun
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 09th, 2014