Excelsior Correspondent
MAHARASHTRA, Feb 25: Minister for Tourism and Culture Tassaduq Hussain Mufti participated in UN Environment-Sanctuary Nature Foundation meet here.
The meet held in Tadoba Wildlife Tiger Sanctuary from February 20th to 22nd February 2018 was aimed to understand and explore ways of fashioning tourism into a livelihood generator.
Mufti said that over the past decades, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the destruction of its environmentally fragile areas, lakes, rivers and meadows to its booming tourism industry.
He said that most of these areas have become concrete jungles without proper sewerage and waste management setup.
Tourism Minister also said that J&K Government needs to take immediate steps in turning its exquisite forests, rivers, mountains, wetlands and lakes of the state to the advantage of local communities and to the advantage of the incredible biodiversity of the State through best practices in tourism.
The Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir has immense potential for sustainable tourism with eco-sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities in a manner that preserves the health, scenic and natural attributes of the tourism sites with the involvement of local communities as its integral part.
Mufti also visited Gothan-gaon in Maharashtra next to the Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary to understand the Community Owned Community Operated Conservancy (COC-OON Conservancy)
The Minister said that the initiative holds out hope for replicable community sustainability, biodiversity enhancement and climate action which are essential elements for creating a model of accountable and sustainable eco-tourism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which won’t expropriate land, water and natural resources.
Legendary conservationist and founder of Sanctuary Asia, India’s leading nature and conservation portal Bittu Sehgal and Global Head of the United Nations Environment and an eminent Environmental Cham-pion Eric Solheim also participated in the meet.
Besides, Additional Chief Secretary Government of Mahar-ashtra Praveen Pardesi, Director, Tourism Kashmir Mehmood shah, Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir Rashid Y. Naqash and representative from Wildlife Institute of India Bilal Habib were also present in the meeting.
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