Telangana forest department is planning to emulate practices and
interventions implemented in Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kawal and in
Amrabad tiger reserves in the state.
Minister for Forest and environment Jogu Ramanna and forest
officials visited the Periyar tiger reserve at Thekkadi village in Idukki
district in Kerala and interacted with the local Adivasis and officials there.
Minister Jogu Ramanna said the intervention and practices being
implemented in Periyar Tiger Reserve are considered to be best in the country
and the same would be implemented in Tigers Reserves in the Telangana.
He said that forest officials of Periyar Tiger Reserve have successfully
created value addition for minor forest produce like Honey and Pepper to be
collected by the local Adivasi community ‘Mannar’, who also get benefited in
the process.
The Adivasi people also employed in works taken up in the Tiger
reserve and this has reduced their involvement in the wood smuggling and
illegal felling of trees, added the minister.
It is said that each member local Adivasi Mannar community are
making at least Rs 400 per day as a guide for tourists visiting to Tiger
reserve. Eco-tourism practiced in Periyar
Tiger reserve attracts many tourists to the place.
Efforts would be made to organize Green Walks for tourists in the
Tigers reserves in the Telangana like in Periyar tiger reserve in Kerala. Stress
would be laid on community development and their participation in the
protection of forest and wild life.
Steps would also be taken for effective functioning of Tiger
Conservation Foundation constituted recently for the both Kawal and Ambrabad
tigers reserves in Telangana and Eco- development committees (EDCs) with the
local Adivasi communities and their participation in protection of forest and
wild life will be increased like in Kerala.
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