Maharashtra will get Gujarat’s Vantara-like wildlife sanctuary and rescue centre soon and the State Government is also considering the name ‘Surya Tara’ for the project. Ganesh Naik, Forest Minister, Government of Maharashtra, on Thursday said, “I have instructed my department to explore the possibility of creating a Vantara-like sanctuary in Maharashtra. We have identified a land in Thane district which is situated near Samruddhi Mahamarg for this wildlife sanctuary.” Naik was in city for two days to chair different meetings of Forest Department.

 

The Minister made this announcement during a press conference held at Hari Singh Auditorium in Seminary Hills on Thursday. The Forest Minister, along with senior officers of the Forest Department, recently visited ‘Vantara’, which is situated within the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery Complex, in Jamnagar, Gujarat. “We have also initiated talks with the Central Government to involve private investors in this project. Additionally, I have written to Anant Ambani, inviting him to help bring a similar sanctuary to Maharashtra,” said the Minister. Naik also said that, private partners could come forward to establish private zoos in Maharashtra and the Government would help them to make it possible. While talking about plans of the Government for wildlife and forest conservation, Naik said, “State Government is planning to plant Surangi (Mammea suriga) saplings on both sides of the Samruddhi Mahamarg in coming days and for this, we are in talks with Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari.”

 

Surangi is a flowering plant in the Calophyllaceae family, known for its fragrant white flowers. “These flowers attract honey-bees and it will help in the endeavour of honey farming in coming days,” said the Minister. While talking about increasing man-animal conflicts in the State, Naik said that, the department has increased wildlife monitoring and patrolling in territorial forests in man-animal conflict prone areas in the State. The department is also installing more camera traps, AI based alarm systems, solar fencing and much more to curb man-animal conflicts in territorial forests.

 

 

Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, on Thursday, said that, Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) had a helicopter earlier to douse forest fire in the State and if required, the Government is ready to buy chopper for the same. State Government is using state-of-the-art technologies to curb forest fires. A country like United States of America (USA) is also a victim of forest fire and it uses modern technology to douse the fire every year, said the Forest Minister. “I have directed the department to visit foreign countries and take the help of their expertise in dousing of forest fires. Government is ready to provide all help to the department in this regard,” said Naik. He also informed that the Forest Department is using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based alarm systems in some tiger reserves which can pre-inform the staff about the threat of forest fire. “We are planning to buy fire-fighting drones, which cost around Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh each and are capable of dousing forest fire in any part of the State,” said Naik.