Prospective Sites Include Ghats, Sanctuaries, Falls Lucknow: For wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers planning to explore eco-tourism sites of Uttar Pradesh, there is help at hand. Working on ways to promote eco-tourism in the state and to attract people to exotic locales, UP Forest Corporation (UPFC) will go public with its initiative this week. The corporation will begin with selected tourist sites, including Katarniaghat. Other sites will be taken up over a period of time. The corporation took up the initiative to identify ecotourism sites in the state, develop them, compile relevant information on such sites and upload it on the website for people and to offer eco-tourism packages. The eco-tourism in UP is limited to Dudhwa national park and some random locations around it. The state’s eco-tourism sector is in need of a push and the UPFC took up the cause of eco-tourism spots of the state after the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav instructed the forest department to take up the promotion of eco-tourism sites in the state. Though UPFC plans to offer easy eco-tourism packages and keep the ‘plan-my-travel’ option hassle-free. It will start offering tourism packages from this week. “Right now, we have not been able to make the entire process online. People can book through the website, but the rest will have to be done manually,” said Umendra Sharma, managing director of UPFC. Many locations in and around the forest and protected areas have been identified by UPFC as prospective eco-tourism sites. Katarniaghat on Gerua river in Bahraich, Chuka ghat in Pilibhit on Sharda dam, Chambal ravines in Agra, Nawabganj bird sanctuary in Unnao, Chandraprabha Rajdari water falls and Deodari water falls in Varanasi, Sarsainawar sarus sanctuary in Etawah, Sandi bird sanctuary in Hardoi, Noida bird sanctuary and Kalpi river cruise in Yamuna in Jalaun are the eco-tourism spots identified for promotion. It may not always be easy for a common man to plan visits to such sites lying in forest and wildlife areas, mainly because such areas are either not well-connected or are devoid of basic facilities. It is also not easy for people to get permits for government rest houses. Mostly, facilities available at rest houses are not documented properly. Tourists willing to visit ecotourism sites face problem finding a proper place to stay. UPFC will put all such details on the website. Online booking and payment for packages will take time to get fully functional. To let tourists know interesting details of eco-tourism sites, UPFC will form a team of local Eco Development Committees (EDCs) of villagers. They will be local companions and guides accompanied by a forest employee. The latter part of the team will accompany tourists from set spots in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra and Noida. ALL FOR THE LION 1 Etawah lion safari will be one of its kind in the country 2 Project has two components – Lion Safari and Lion Breeding Centre 3 Locally bred lions will be displayed in safari area 4 Breeding centre will be made functional first 5 At least 10-12 locally bred lions will be released in the safari area initially JOURNEY SO FAR Lion safari project was mooted first in 2005-06 by Mulayam government Some 150 hectares of land in Fisher Forest on Etawah-Gwalior national highway was acquired and notified as Lion Safari in 2005 It was shelved by Mayawati government in 2007 It was revived after SP came back to power in March 2012 MoEF raised objections against safari coming up in a reserve forest area since it is a non-forestry activity Project is expected to get the final nod on February 5