WWF, Bengal govt readies rural tourism spot in Sunderbans

Kolkata, Aug 17 (UNI) Traversing through creeks and terrains of the Sunderbans, the mangrove forests of West Bengal, is child's play for Ramu, a poacher - turned - guide, who is happy with his newly found job.

Thanks to World Wide Fund (WWF), West Bengal government and the local NGOs, who have set up a unique eco-tourism destination at Bali Island in Hatkhola, near Gosaba National Park, some 116 kms south of Kolkata.

The Sunderbans though replete with the big cats and mangroves yet has not been able to pull tourists despite its rich flora and fauna of the delta reserves.

''This new eco-tourism destination in Bali Island is a place where tourists can enjoy village tourism. They can stay and interact with the locals,'' WWF state Director S Banerjee told UNI today.

Developed by the WWF and Sunderbans Tiger Project, the eco tourism project aims at conserving the forest's wildlife with the help of the locals and promote travelling as well.

Help Tourism, which works for conservation of nature and wildlife in East and Northeast India, is also associated with the project.

''The Sunderbans are losing its distinct beauty due to frequent poaching, hunting and timber-felling. Villagers needed an alternative way to earn revenue and sustain themselves. This module aims to support them,'' Mr Banerjee said.

''State forest department is also supporting this project as without its help we can not proceed with these kind of projects,'' he added.

Tourists would enjoy the beauty of the jungle sitting in camps.

Keeping in mind the locale and its flavour, the camps have been designed accodingly.

''We will offer a milieu where the tourists will be able to freak out in the jungle, take a ride on the elephant, walk through the villages and get a feel of the local people's life. The Sunderbans are not only about flora and fauna, natural beauty and tigers. They are also about the people,'' he said.

The unique aspect of this eco-tourism module is that it stresses on gainful employment of the locals.

Stressing the involvement of the locals in the project, Mr Banerjee said village women maintain the mud cottages, the locals run a nature shop, selling gift and handicraft items. The money that comes in from the shop goes back to the locals.

Ramu, a man in his mid-forties, along with his wife and fellow villagers, runs a training centre near the jungle camp. Help Tourism assists Ramu to sell his items prepared by the local women in the training centre.

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