Eco-tourism centres in forests to get facelift

VADODARA: The eco-tourism centres (ETC) at forest reserves that are emerging as tourism hotspots in central Gujarat may soon go through a major facelift. Private entrepreneurs have come forward to develop these centres in partnership with the state government.

The centres are managed by the eco development committees (EDC) comprising locales, who depend on the forests for their livelihood. The revenue generated through the centres is shared between the state government and the committee. Presently, it is the forest department that is supervising the process and giving support to the activity.

While the centres located at Dhanpuri and Bhat around Jambughoda as well as Targol near Sankheda in Vadodara district are popular destinations, the facilities there are not up to the mark. These sites are also not marketed well and have largely relied on word of mouth publicity.

But things may change soon with three private parties signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the state government to develop these on a public-private partnership mode. Officials said the proposals were in process and meetings were being held with the private parties as well as the EDCs.

"The EDCs will still handle the affairs hands on with the private parties helping them. So far, three different parties have shown interest in working with the EDCs," said district forest officer R G Prajapati.

Vadodara-based Bandish Shah, whose company has signed an MoU for an ETC at the recent Vibrant Gujarat summit, said the idea was to bring in professionalism in management of these centres. "We will work with the EDCs, provide them training, improve infrastructure at the centres and market these destinations. Means will be devised to ensure that people get a real feel of the forests and ensure that the potential of these sites is explored to the fullest," he said.

Officials, however, are treading carefully with the projects as there is some resistance from the EDCs, who feel that their existence would be threatened. Also, they want to ensure that the forests and wildlife are not disturbed.