Tourism board panel’s nod a must for initiating green travel projects

Those interested in launching green travel projects will now have to approach the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board’s Ecotourism Development Committee (EDC) for permission.

The development comes in the wake of the department cancelling several ecotourism projects prior to the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the state to reconsider the revoked permissions on January 13.

Ecotourism or ecologically sustainable tourism refers to responsible tourism to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local communities. Earlier, the department had cancelled the permissions claiming that those were granted without any authority by former Chief Conservator Forests Harsh Kumar.

However, Kumar had claimed that the permissions were granted on the basis of the approved management plans of various forest divisions and scientific mapping.

Officials privy to the developments said the department will have to identify the areas in an around the forests for the projects.

The department has to take into consideration the forest management plans, including the carrying capacity of the respective areas. The final approval is granted by the Centre.

After the 2023 amendment in the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, ecotourism activities can be allowed in the areas having approved management plans.

“Since the EDC is a sub-committee constituted under the Executive Committee of the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board, officials of the Forest Department are on board while granting approval to projects abutting the forest areas and those inside the forest areas,” said an official.

RK Mishra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said the permission for ecotourism projects is granted strictly as per the specified guideline by the ECD, currently headed by the Financial Commissioner, Forests.

The permissions are covered under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) Act, 1900.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Forest Department is also developing three ecotourism projects in Pathankot and Hoshiarpur as part of its plans to offer unexplored sites to tourists.

The department has prepared a plan to set up ecotourism projects on the Kulara island near the Ranjit Sagar reservoir in Pathankot besides at Talwara and Maili dam in Hoshiarpur, said the official.

Under the projects, the department plans to set up all-weather huts for camping and develop water sports, nature trails, bird-watching, jeep safari, and nature interpretation centres.

The department is already running similar projects in the foothills of the Shivalik mountain range at Chohal and Thana dam in Hoshiarpur, Dhar in Pathankot, and Siswan in Mohali.