https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Time To Make Eco-Tourism Less Tiger Centric

APCCF, Uttar Pradesh, Sunil Choudhary, says that it’s time to move beyond tigers and promote other sectors of eco-tourism.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Eco-tourism or ecological and culturally sensitive tourism allows the travelers to spent time in the lap of nature and experience its most pristine form. However, in the past few decades, this sector is getting limited to wildlife areas only, mostly tiger reserves.

Indian Forest Service officer Sunil Choudhary has been focusing on boosting eco-tourism in Uttar Pradesh by developing the necessary infrastructure. During an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the APCCF, UP, said that nature has so much more to offer, so we need to now move beyond tigers.

PROMOTING BEAUTY OF NATURE

Mr. Choudhary said, “Intentionally or unintentionally, our eco-tourism has become tiger centric. We can proudly say that the tiger doesn’t need much of our help. Most of our tiger reserves have increased the numbers of tigers and some has even doubled it. We need to now look beyond tigers?”

He also said that most tourists visiting reserves feel disappointed if they don’t see tigers. People are slowly forgetting to appreciate the beauty of nature, other animals and the rich flora and fauna. Hence, while promoting eco-tourism, the UP government is focusing on promoting the beauty of nature. It is a very sustainable form of tourism, he added.

Nature walk

He further pointed out that UP is one of the states to have a eco-tourism policy. The state is divided into nine circuits, which includes Lakhimpur Kheri-Pilibhit-Katarniaghat circuit, Agra-Etawah circuit, Chandrakanta eco-toursim circuit. These circuits cover tigers, Gangetic dolphins, geological and archeological sites.

“You take the example of Mirzapur. It has caves with different paintings which can be interesting for many. We just need to develop and promote them,” he said. 

PROMOTING AGRA-ETAWAH CIRCUIT

Every year, lakhs of tourists come to Agra, out of which, many are foreigners. Mostly they see the Taj and return. “If they become aware of the Taj-Etawah circuit and what it has to offer, why wouldn’t they stay and explore? Obviously, not everyone is interested in seeing and observing nature. But our focus is to tap only 4-5% of the tourists because eco-tourists are different from the others. They have to be responsible, well-read and nature lovers,” the officer said.

Taj Nature Walk

The Agra-Etawah circuit covers Taj Nature Walk, Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (Keetham Lake), the Chambal Sanctuary famous for dolphins and ghariyals and lion safari in Etawah. The forest department is working in collaboration with the tourism department to promote this circuit. The focus is to provide basic necessities to the tourist like home stay and good food. Other circuits are also being developed in a similar manner.

BREEDING RHINOS IN DUDHWA

Mr. Choudhary, who also served as the Director of Dudhwa National Park, further said that for conservation of wildlife, we need to take risk and make instant decision. He shared a personal experience: “You can now find tigers across the country and in various weather and natural conditions. But, apart from the northeast, especially Assam, we rarely find rhino anywhere in the country. In Dudhwa, we brought rhino way back and inbred them in a separate enclosure. To end the effects of inbreeding and grow a different population, we had to shift them to a new location. It was a risky decision but we had to take it. In 2017, after many hurdles, we took three female and one male and moved them 14 km away from that enclosure. I am happy to share that last year, breeding happened and a calf was born.”

Today, the number of rhinos in Dudhwa is around 32, which proves that foresightedness and timely action can go a long way in boosting any conservation initiative.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Punjab_govt_resized
Punjab: 2 IAS Officers Transferred in Late Evening Move, Jaspreet Singh Takes Over as MD of Punjab INFOTECH
UPPSC_UPPCS_resized
UPPSC PCS 2025 Prelims on October 12: 42 Exam Centres in Meerut, First-Time Room Inspector Training Introduced
ED _Enforcement_Directorate
ED Sends Fresh Notice to Nikant Jain, Close Aide of Suspended IAS Abhishek Prakash, Amid Ongoing Probe
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Bihar Elections 2025: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Addresses 5 Key Issues - SIR, Fake Voting, Freebies & More
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
NTPC_Tapovan Donates_Ambulance_
NTPC Hands Over ₹30 Lakh Advanced Life Support Ambulance to Chamoli District Hospital to Boost Emergency Healthcare
NTPC_Barauni_signed_agreement_
NTPC Barauni to Install 89 High-Mast Lights Across Begusarai to Boost Safety and Community Development
BPCL_bags_Excellence_Awards_
BPCL Wins Top Honours for City Gas Distribution and Customer Service at 19th PNGRB Foundation Day
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Discover how IDES officer Saquib Alam left his corporate job at Mahindra, overcame six UPSC attempts,...
Utkarsh Ujjwal IAS
IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal Shares Key Advice for UPSC Aspirants: Work Ethic, Failure, and Focus
Read the inspiring journey of IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal, 2023 batch, Gujarat cadre. From IIT Guwahati to clearing...
Sagar Datta Majumdar UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 317
“Don’t get trapped in the vicious cycle of self-doubt,” says UPSC Achiever Sagar Datta Majumdar
Discover how Sagar Datta Majumdar from Agartala, Tripura, cracked UPSC CSE 2024 with All India Rank 317....
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Punjab_govt_resized
Punjab: 2 IAS Officers Transferred in Late Evening Move, Jaspreet Singh Takes Over as MD of Punjab INFOTECH
UPPSC_UPPCS_resized
UPPSC PCS 2025 Prelims on October 12: 42 Exam Centres in Meerut, First-Time Room Inspector Training Introduced
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT