Junnar leopard safari project sanctioned ₹1.5 crore for DPR

Pune: The

Junnar

forest division is in the process of preparing a detailed project report (

DPR

) for ‘leopard safari’, with the Pune district administration sanctioning Rs1.5 crore for it. The agencies empanelled with the state government will prepare the DPR. The forest division has already floated a tender for it. About 60-70 hectares of forest land has been earmarked for the project,

Amol Satpute

, deputy conservator of forest of Junnar division, said. “We have earmarked two areas, one in Otur forest range and another in Junnar. As per the procedure, we will send the DPR, once completed, to the state government for budgetary sanction. We plan to complete the work within two years,” Satpute said. He said the safari will be come up on the lines of the

Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park

. “It will have enclosures for animals and people would be taken to these enclosures by bus. It will not only address man-animal conflict, but also give a boost to tourism in the tehsil, while providing employment to the local youths,” Satpute said. The project was long awaited due to the high presence of leopards in Junnar tehsil.
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