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New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) President Draupadi Murmu, who is on a three-day visit to Gujarat, on Friday visited Gir National Park and interacted with the local tribal community and praised their nature-friendly lifestyle, calling it a source of inspiration for all. The President began his programs with darshan and puja at the Somnath temple.
The President also paid floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the temple.
Later, the President visited Gir National Park and interacted with the local tribal people at Sasan Gir. During the conversation, the President said that tribal people have many paths to progress in life. He asked them to try to provide the best possible education to their children.
He was happy to note that the literacy rate of the Siddi tribal community, a primitive tribal group, is more than 72 percent.
President Murmu said that the Government of India has launched various initiatives for the welfare of the tribal people. He urged everyone to get information about developmental and welfare schemes and not only benefit from them but also connect the people of their village and community with those schemes, a statement said.
The President said that the nature-friendly lifestyle of the tribal community is a source of inspiration for all.
He said that with the active participation of our tribal brothers and sisters, we are working to build a society and country where there is an environment of equality, justice and respect, where the culture and traditions of the tribal society are preserved, and the rights of our tribal brothers and sisters are protected. This is important to make India a developed nation by the year 2047.
Taking to Rashtrapati Bhavan’s official account “Development while preserving traditions.”
Notably, Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only place in the world, apart from Africa, where one can see lions roaming freely in the wild.
The forest area of Gir National Park is dry and deciduous, which provides suitable habitat for Asiatic lions.
In May 2015, the 14th Asiatic lion census was conducted, which suggested that the lion population stood at 523, a 27 percent increase from the previous census in 2010. Notably, the lion population stood at 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005.
Every year, during the monsoon season, Gir National Park remains closed from 16 June to 15 October.
Gir National Park and Sanctuary also faces several threats and challenges to its ecosystem.
Some threats emerge from recurring droughts, cyclones and forest fires. Additionally, pollution from railway lines is also a threat to Gir National Park.
–IANS
PGH/And