The Lohara Jungle Safari Tourism Gate, located under the Chandrapur Forest Division in the Chandrapur Forest Range of Maharashtra, was inaugurated by Dr. Ashok Uike, Minister for Tribal Development and Guardian Minister of Chandrapur District.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chief Conservator of Forests R. M. Ramanujam, District Collector Vinay Gauda G.C., Chief Executive Officer Pulkit Singh, Superintendent of Police Mummaka Sudarshan, Municipal Commissioner Akunuri Naresh, Field Director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve Dr. Prabhunath Shukla, Deputy Director (Core) Anand Reddy, Deputy Conservator of Forests Yogesh Waghaye, Divisional Forest Officer Rajan Talmale, Lohara village Sarpanch Kiran Siddharth, along with forest officials, staff, and a large number of local residents.
The Lohara Jungle Safari Tourism Gate has been developed with a focus on wildlife management, human–wildlife coexistence, and forest conservation, reports Van Samachar.
The key objectives of this initiative include:
Sustainable conservation of forests
Reducing local dependency on forest resources
Creating employment opportunities for rural youth
Minimising human–wildlife conflict through regulated tourism
This project aims to promote responsible tourism while strengthening conservation efforts.
35-Km. Jungle Safari Route
Under this tourism initiative, a 35-kilometre jungle safari route has been made available for visitors by utilizing existing forest roads and old access tracks.
The Lohara Jungle Safari area is home to a wide variety of wildlife species, including:
Tiger, Leopard, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Jungle Cat, Jackal, Wild Dogs, Mongoose, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Four-horned Antelope Wild Boar and Otter. In addition, the region is rich in diverse forest vegetation, rare bird species, and colourful butterflies, making it an important biodiversity hotspot.
With the inauguration of the Lohara Jungle Safari Tourism Gate, Chandrapur district has gained a new eco-tourism destination. The initiative is expected to increase tourist footfall, strengthen conservation awareness, and provide a significant boost to the local economy and employment, officials said. (Source: Van Samachar)
