Bhopal, October 03: Adding another feather to its extant, robust tourism sector, the state of Madhya Pradesh is all set to have one more Tiger Reserve named Ratapani near Bhopal, the landscape which has good presence of tigers already.
The state had received an approval for the same from the National Tiger Conservation Authority 11 years ago. Confirming the development, minister of forest Umang Singhar said, “We have completed all the conditions of NTCA to declare Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary a Tiger Reserve. This will boost tourism and improve the local economy of the area".
“The area has good availability of water sources and breeding places. The area is favorable for the tiger population. The facilities will be improved after notification as good budget allocation will be received from the center,” he added.
No state till date having utilised its natural heritage for tourism like Madhya Pradesh did, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary has a population of about 40 tigers while the movement of 12 tigers has been reported in the forest area of Bhopal, following which the whole area is slated to be combined as one to declare it as a tiger reserve.
Its close proximity to the capital and its relatively untouched forests makes it a promising attraction for tourists and the Madhya Pradesh tourism board plans to make it a wildlife destination in the near future. The reserve is rich in flora and fauna and a wide variety of birds and mammals call it their home.