West Bengal to release tiger in Buxa, plant 3 crore mangroves in Sunderbans

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Adhikari said on Tuesday that a tiger would be released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2. This is part of a long-planned effort to revive the big-cat population to North Bengal and follows National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines to revive the big cat population in North Bengal.

With strengthened emphasis on preservation of environment and mangrove in Sunderbans, around three crore mangroves will be planted in Sunderbans from September to December, Bengal forest minister Manoj Oraon said.

"Mangroves and forest land in areas adjoining the Sunderbans have been illegally taken over," he said.


The government is also planning a new aquarium near the Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata, CM said.

Kicking off an inauguration programme for planting 50 lakh trees across the state, Adhikari reiterated that three crore mangrove trees will be planted in the Sunderbans from October.

"We have to plant 10 crore trees within this year," the chief minister said, adding that G RAM G project providing 125-day job guarantee will help in this regard.

He said the state can undertake work worth Rs 12,000 crore in the next few months, with each panchayat getting jobs under the scheme worth Rs 50 lakh under the G RAM G scheme.

The chief minister said that during this short period, the BJP dispensation has worked for ensuring national security, constitutional duties, welfare initiatives and job creation and setting up industries.

"in order to save Kolkata from environmental pollution, a large number of trees have to be planted," Adhikari said.

Stating that more than 100 people have died in lightning strikes across West Bengal this year, he said planting tall trees like coconut and betel acts as natural lightning arresters.

CM announced that the remuneration enhancement of the rangers, beat officers and forest guards by Rs 5,000 each and that of Van Sahayaks will be augmented by Rs 2,000 each from October.