Master plan for protecting Sunderbans taken
Desk News:
The Forest Department has taken a master plan for protecting the Sunderbans, world heritage mangrove forest, to attract tourists, ahead of tourism year in 2015.
On April 10 in 2014, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon here said at a meeting that the present government has declared tourism industry as the 3rd sector for revenue earning and will announce 2015 as the tourism year.
In a view exchange meeting with the civil society for developing tourism industry at Khulna Circuit House Conference room, the minister said that the present government’s policy is to increase revenue by enhancing tourism sector and to create a favourable atmosphere with a view to attract tourists for visiting country’s tourist spots including world heritage mangrove forest Sunderbans.
Talking to BSS, Kartik Chandra Sarker, Regional Conservator of Forest in Khulna Zone, said that the Forest Department has already submitted proposal to the Forest Ministry with recommendations to ban goalpata collection and fishing and evacuate fishermen who are engaged in dried fish business in the Sunderbans.
Simultaneously, other resources collection from Sunderbans will also be banned; he said adding that they also have sent recommendations for rehabilitation of the affected people who had been passing livelihood for using Sunderbans since long.
For keeping environment and preserving biodiversity of Sunderbans, a tourism office and a motel will be set up in Khulna on 5 acres land at City’s Boyra Muzgunni area, said Kartik Chandra adding that tourism system at Sunderbans would be modernized for blooming country’s south-west tourism sector.
The Forest Department has also undertaken other schemes to increase number of tourists as well as revenue, according to sources.
Except tourists others will not get permission to enter into the Sundesrbans after implementation of the master plan, sources said.
The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world covering 6,017 square kilometers of land and water, a home for about 440 tigers, 1.50 lakh deer, 40,000-50,000 monkeys, 20,000-25,000 wild boars, 150-200 crocodiles’ and 20,000-25,000 other animals, according to an official estimate.
BSS
