Maharashtra Minister orders feasibility study for world-class mangrove safari park in Airoli

Representational Image. Pic/Pixabay

Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has directed officials to conduct a feasibility study for establishing a world-class mangrove safari park in Airoli, Navi Mumbai. The proposed park, located along Airoli Creek, aims to boost eco-tourism while preserving the region's rich mangrove ecosystem and its resident flamingo population.

Naik issued the directive during a high-level meeting at the state secretariat, attended by senior officials, including Praveen Pardeshi, Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Institute for Transformation (MITRA), Additional Chief Secretary Milind Mhaiskar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shomita Biswas, and other senior forest department officials.

Mangrove Park to Boost Eco-Tourism

Highlighting the tourism potential of Navi Mumbai's creek areas, Naik emphasised that mangroves and flamingo sightings could attract nature enthusiasts. He instructed officials to prepare a detailed study report to evaluate the feasibility of the park in Airoli and Ghansoli and present their findings.

Additionally, the minister stressed the need for wildlife conservation efforts to minimize human-animal conflicts. He pointed out that areas like Junnar, Karad, and Sangamner have a significant leopard population, and suggested that a leopard safari - similar to Rajasthan's Jawai Leopard Safari - could be explored in these regions.

Wildlife Conservation Initiatives

In another key initiative, Naik announced plans to establish an international breeding centre at the Gorewada project in Nagpur for the conservation of endangered species like wild buffaloes and the Great Indian Bustard (Maldhok). To facilitate this, the Maharashtra government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

MITRA CEO Praveen Pardeshi welcomed the move and emphasized the importance of international collaborations in wildlife conservation and eco-tourism development.

Maharashtra Forest Minister calls for formation of primary response team to tackle wild elephant issue in Dodamarg

In a bid to tackle the growing issue of wild elephants damaging farmlands in Sindhudurg's Dodamarg taluka, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has directed the formation of a Primary Response Team and the development of a relocation plan to move the elephants to a protected area near Tilari Dam.

The minister issued these directives during a meeting held at the state secretariat, which was convened at the request of former minister and MLA Deepak Kesarkar. Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Milind Mhaiskar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shomita Biswas, Deputy Secretary Vivek Hosing, and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.V. Rama Rao, were also present.

Addressing the meeting, Naik emphasised the urgent need to mitigate the distress faced by farmers due to elephant intrusions. He suggested that keeping the elephants within their natural habitat would prevent them from straying into farmlands. To achieve this, he proposed planting bamboo, banana, and jackfruit trees in the protected Tilari region to provide a sustainable food source for the elephants.