Gujarat Water SUPPLY Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya. (File)WATER SUPPLY Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya on Saturday said that the Hingolgadh Nature Education Sanctuary in Vinchhiya taluka of Rajkot district will be developed as a tourism spot in the coming days, while ensuring conservation of wildlife and natural resources.
“People of Vinchhiya and Jasdan have got such a beautiful forest in their backyard. It is replete with a number of species of trees, birds and animals. We shall draw plans to develop Hingolgadh as a tourist destination,” an official release from the state government quoted Bavaliya as having said.
The minister, who is MLA from Jasdan Assembly seat which covers Vinchhiya and Jasdan talukas of Rajkot district, was addressing a meeting at Bhimkui, the headquarters of the sanctuary. RD Kamboj, director of the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER), Deputy Conservator of Forests IK Barad, Range Forest Officer Arif Theba and sarpanches of villages surrounding the sanctuary were also present at the meeting.
Spread over 654 hectare, the small sanctuary is rich in biodiversity. It hosts 155 species of plants of 66 families, 229 species of birds, 21 species of mammals, 33 species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians. It has been hosting nature education camps for schools and college students every year since 1982.
The release further stated that the terrain of the sanctuary being hilly, 85 artificial water-retaining structures were recently created so that the water table in adjoining villages goes up.