NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of his birthday on September 17.
Around 10:45 am on Saturday, he will release cheetahs in Kuno National Park and soon after that, around 12 noon, he will participate in Self Help Group (SHG) Sammelan with women SHG members/community resource persons at Karahal, Sheopur.
The release of wild cheetahs by the Prime Minister in Kuno National Park is part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify India’s wildlife and its habitat. The cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952.
The cheetahs that will be released are from Namibia and have been brought under an MoU signed earlier this year. The introduction of cheetahs in India is being done under Project Cheetah, which is the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.
Cheetahs will help in the restoration of open forest and grassland ecosystems in India. This will help conserve biodiversity and enhance the ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration and soil moisture conservation, benefiting society at large.
This effort, in line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to environmental protection and wildlife conservation, will also lead to enhanced livelihood opportunities for the local community through eco-development and ecotourism activities.
The Prime Minister will participate in the SHG Sammelan being organised at Karahal, Sheopur. The Sammelan will witness the attendance of thousands of women Self Help Group members/community resource persons that are being promoted under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
During the programme, Prime Minister will also be inaugurating four Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) skilling centres under PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The DAY-NRLM aims to mobilise rural poor households into SHGs in a phased manner and provide them long-term support to diversify their livelihoods and improve their incomes and quality of life.
The mission is also working towards empowering the women SHG members through awareness generation and behaviour change communication on issues like domestic violence, women’s education and other gender-related concerns, nutrition, sanitation, health etc. (ANI)