NAGPUR: The
Maharashtra Ecotourism Development Board (MEDB) has identified 347 ecotourism sites. Out of these, plans for 166 were prepared and approved till last month.
“The cost of approved
ecotourism plans is worth Rs1,100 crore and grants will be made available in coming 3 to 5 years,” said MEDB managing director Sunil Limaye.
Limaye said the board is financially strong now. “Therefore, we have decided to set up a panel of architects which is well versed with ecotourism-related activities and to accelerate preparation and approval of plans,” he said.
The board has drafted rules to amalgamate all the decisions regarding ecotourism. the MEDB has targeted schoolchildren in the age group of 12-14 years to orient them towards ecotourism and wildlife conservation.
In the first phase around 200 children from zilla parishad and ashram schools from rural areas of
Vidarbha were taken to nearby forests for one-day visit where they were informed about conservation of forests, importance of wildlife etc. “We will extend this programme this year throughout the state. We have budgeted Rs4.50 crore. Almost 70,000 students will benefit,” said Limaye.
