Chandigarh, Aug 20 (IANS) Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh on Wednesday said the proposed Jungle Safari project in the Aravalli region is an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The detailed design and project report will be prepared within the next two months, followed by the global tender process, so that work on the project can start soon. “The project aims not only to boost eco-tourism, but also to protect biodiversity and create employment opportunities for local people,” he said.

Singh was chairing a review meeting with officers of the Forest Department here. The Life Science Education Trust gave a presentation on the project. He said the Aravalli is India’s oldest mountain range, spread across Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi, covering 1.15 million hectares. The central government has entrusted Haryana with the responsibility of the Aravalli Green Wall Project and Jungle Safari, which will prove to be a milestone in environmental conservation.

Singh said earlier, this project was with the Tourism Department. Now it has been handed over to the Forest Department. He personally visited the Gorewada Safari in Nagpur and the Vantara project in Gujarat for inspiration. The Haryana government’s aim is to have this mega project inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, he added.

It was informed at the meeting that the Aravalli Safari is proposed over nearly 10,000 acres in Gurugram and Nuh districts. In the first phase, it will be developed on around 2,500 acres. The project will be implemented in accordance with the rules of the Central Zoo Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The Minister said this will be a major investment project, and possibilities under the PPP model will be explored for its operation. Just like Gujarat’s Vantara and Kevadia Zoo projects have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs), Haryana too will complete the MoU process soon.

He also shared that guidelines for the night safari have now been issued. Through the Aravalli Green Wall project, large-scale plantation of indigenous species, soil health improvement, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity conservation will be ensured.

–IANS

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