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`Promote eco tourism; protect environment'

Staff Correspondent

Natural resources should be used for common good: Shivraj Singh Chauhan

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said here on Tuesday that eco tourism should be promoted after ensuring the protection of environment, forest and wildlife.

The Chief Minister was speaking as the chief guest at a special seminar here on eco tourism. He said that vast tracts of forest had disappeared as a result of massive exploitation of natural resources and on the pretext of development.

"There is a widespread ecological imbalance due to reckless mining and logging of trees," he said adding that what is important was that "we should utilise natural resources and forests for common good but never go for reckless exploitation".

Mr. Chauhan said whatever had been left of forests should be conserved because destruction of the green cover would spell doom for mankind.

The priority should revolve round the protection of wildlife and forests, he said, adding that only if wildlife is safe in the forests would people come to see it and the revenue that would thence be generated should only be treated as bonus.

State Tourism Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia said, "It is not the time to talk but to implement."

She stressed the need for better coordination between the Forest and Tourism departments as well as other wings of the State Government for promoting eco tourism.

She said that the State Government's decision to set up the Eco Tourism Board had been praised all over the country. Ms. Scindia said vehicles crowd national parks where they are driven rashly, bumper-to-bumper, during the months of December and January. She cautioned against complacency and said the impacting of client experience and how the tourists were being managed in Protected Areas needed to be evaluated and analysed.

Ms. Scindia said that the State Town and Country Planning Department also has a role when it comes to regulating and keeping track of the impact of hotels outside national parks and sanctuaries. "These hotels should also positively touch the lives of the tribal village communities."

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`Promote eco tourism; protect environment'

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