Sanjay Gandhi National Park: State to tie up with Belgium govt to make park a tourist attraction

Sanjay Gandhi National Park: State to tie up with Belgium govt to make park a tourist attraction

AIMING to turn Sanjay Gandhi National Park(Established(स्थापित)1942-103.84 km ) in Borivali to an international tourist destination(इष्ट प्रदेश), the Maharashtra government will tie-up with the Belgium government, officials said. The partnership would help draw foreign visitors, mainly Europeans, to the national park, and also bring in technical expertise to improve the area, conservation(संरक्षण) and facilities, officials said. A delegation(शिष्ठ मंडल) from the Maharashtra government is expected to travel to Belgium next month to fine-tune the agreement.

Anwar Ahmed, the director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), confirmed the development. “We are in the preliminary stage,” he said.

The state forest department has already tied up with a German government agency, GIZ, that helped set up the Marine Conservation Centre in Navi Mumbai, which was opened to the public two weeks ago.

According to a senior government official privy to the development at the SGNP, the idea of a tie-up first emerged in February this year when Belgium’s Consul General Peter Huyghebaert visited the national park.

“It was his personal trip. The consul general was very intrigued that the national park was located amid a concrete jungle like Mumbai and several other issues, especially with its boundary and encroachments. An informal conversation is now shaping up to a formal partnership between the two governments,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.

The official added there could be special packages for Europeans that would put the national park at the centre of the city’s tourist circuit. “Technical expertise to improve the upkeep of the park would be important. Officials from Antwerp Zoo in Belgium are going to provide assistance to lift the standards of SGNP. They will provide expertise on safaris and maintenance of the park,” said another official.

In an attempt to reduce pollution in SGNP, 15 battery-operated buses will be launched in June to ferry visitors. The government has procured 300 such buses and soon, no private vehicles would be allowed inside the park.

Jim Corbett National Park

India’s first and oldest national park, established in 1936 by legendary British hunter named Jim Corbett. It is located in the most sacred state of India called Uttarakhand. Snuggled in the foothills of Himalayas, Corbett National Park is an ultimate destination for tiger tourism in India. Spread over 500 Square Kilometers the place is dwelling for variety of wild species and animals. You have to take canter or jeep Safari to explore the hidden mystery of the dense jungle. While enjoying safari, there is great chance to spot the tigers and other wild species like jackals, leopards, fishing cats, sloth bears and many more.

Ranthambore National Park :

Welcome to land of roars, trumpet and song as Ranthambore National Park is famous for Spotting Royal Bengal Tigers. It enjoys the status of the largest wildlife reserves in India. Surrounded by Chambal and Banas River, the park is a natural habitat for majestic tigers and several wild animals. Apart from the wonderful wildlife attractions you may pass through the many ancient ruins like Ranthambore Fort. These ancient monuments are sometimes shelter to leopards and tigers. It offers great view to wildlife lovers and photographers.

Sundarbans National Park :

Sundarbans National Park is home to Royal Bengal Tigers and it is the largest mangrove forest in the world. Declared as a world heritage by UNESCO; it is situated on the lower end of Gangetic West Bengal. The park is bounded by the River Hooghly in the west, River Raimangal in the east and Bay of Bengal in the south. The dense forest of Sundarbans is blessed with the large number of Sundari trees and it is believed that the forest derived its name from these beautiful trees. It is a land of 54 tiny islands that is formed by the tributaries of the river Ganges.

Gir National Park :

Gir National Forest (Gujarat): Flock of lions comes in front of the eyes whenever we recall world-renowned Gujrat’s Gir Forest. So why not, it is the one and only one place in the world besides South Africa where Asiatic Lions resides. The sanctuary has now expanded to approximately 258.71 square kilometers, where today 411 Singh breathe. Gir forest is a home to more than 300 species of birds, many of which can be seen round the year. Fortunately Gir is blessed with the more kinds of birds than any other park in Gujarat. If we watch birds in their natural habitats it fulfills many of our basic criteria for what makes good outdoor recreation. These wonderful creatures of nature appeal to our sense of aesthetics.

Kaziranga National Park :

Kaziranga National Park is a famous national park located in the Golaghat and Nagaon District of Assam. It is a world heritage site, famous for the great population of one-horned Rhinoceroses. It was declared as a tiger reserve in the year 2006 by the Government of India as the park boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world. Apart from these two animals Kaziranga is a home to a large breeding population of wild water buffalo, elephants and swamp deer. It is a nature’s paradise on the earth where wildlife roam fearlessly, where man and nature become one where wildlife viewing and nature watch in the park will surely take you to a different world where you can enjoy the nature’s beauty at its best.