Date:10/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/10/stories/2007111060840500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Fete to promote eco-tourism

Correspondent

Kakinada: All arrangements are made for launching Vana Vihari, the 116-day eco-tourism festival that highlights the development of eco-friendly tourism projects in the forests involving local tribals. As a prelude to the festival, an eco-tourism information centre was inaugurated at the district forest officers office here on Friday. Collector M Subrahmanyam, who was chief guest, stressed the importance of forests and their conservation and utilisation of forest produce without disturbing the forest cover. He opined that the eco-tourism information centre would create awareness among people on the nature’s beauty, the places of tourist interests in the forests and the role of the Vana Samrakshana Samithis in conservation of the forests. While complimenting the district forest officials for taking up the eco-tourism development project, the first of its kind in the State, he hoped the project would go a long way in protecting the flora and fauna and in creating gainful employment to tribals. District Forest officer B. Ananda Mohan said the project offered a visual feast to visitors of forests. The festival commences at Maredumilli on Saturday, and will end by March 5.