No plan to make Sunderbans eco-tourism hub: Govt

The government on Friday said there is no plan to make Sunderbans an eco-tourism hub and the area has been declared as a tiger reserve for conserving wildlife.

Steps are being taken to protect and enhance mangrove cover in Sunderbans through promotional as well as regulatory measures, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar told Lok Sabha.

In a written reply, he said there is no plan at present to make Sunderbans an eco-tourism hub. "Conservation of flora and fauna of the Sunderbans is implemented through the legally mandated Tiger Conservation Plan which inter-alia has prescriptions for management of mangrove areas, anti-poaching, habitat management, monitoring and staff development," he said.