CM releases coffee-table book ‘Wild Maharashtra’
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in association with the Maharashtra State Forest Department and Sanctuary Asia’s editorial team has put together the work of some of India’s finest photographers and writers who present Maharashtra as a universe unto itself. India’s most diverse and beautiful ecosystems and the most exotic animals including tiger can attract millions of sensitive people from around the world in the years to come.
Underscoring the value of this natural capital the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Prithviraj Chavan, said “Maharashtra’s wild heritage is held in sacred trust by us for our future generations. These forests, grasslands, wetlands and coasts are also critical to the water and food security of millions of Maharashtrians. The United Nations Framework for Climate Change has advised that protecting natural ecosystems is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing the threat of a changing climate. Much of Maharashtra’s biodiversity is now protected by a network of six national parks and 41 wildlife sanctuaries. We have also added another 500 sq. km. of wildlife habitat to expand the current network of Protected Areas.”
Maharashtra’s Minister for Tourism, Shri. Chhagan Bhujbal, said, “Wildlife thrives even in the heart of urban cities such as Pune, where the Mula Mutha is a birders’ paradise. In Mumbai and several other cities and towns it is, in fact, possible for people to see as many as 10,000 flamingos in the middle of an urban locality like Sewri, and the Thane Creek, which plays host to lakhs of migratory water birds. In the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, free ranging leopards exist and there are more butterfly species found herethan in Great Britain.”
Dr. Jagdish Patil, MD,MTDC, said, “In an era of climate change, every natural ecosystem constitutes a life-saving mechanism for the people of Maharashtra. Mangroves supply marinefoods while protecting the land from sea surges and erosion. Forests temper theforce of storms, while collecting water for us to use in the lean season. Wetlands are a storehouse of carbon and help ensure our food security. The seecosystem services are the foundation of our economic security and a source oflivelihoods for millions.”
The bio-inventory of Maharashtra’s assets includes plants and animals the Konkan’smarine biomes, the ‘water towers’ and evergreen forests of the Sahyadri ranges in the Western Ghats, the grasslands of the Deccan Plateau, Vidarbha’s tiger-stocked Satpuda Range and Marathwada’s semi-arid biotope that has gained popularity as the home of the Great Indian Bustard and for the globally celebrated Ajanta and Ellora caves.
The Book “Wild Maharashtra” is a based on first hand experience and science, edited by Bittu Sahgal and Lakshmy Raman.
Mumbai,Oct.4,2012.(Sachin Murdeshwar): Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Prithviraj Chavan today released pictorial coffee-table book ‘Wild Maharashtra’showcasing vibrant heritage and culture of the State. Wild Maharashtra celebrates the vibrant natural heritage and culture of the state, even as it highlights the strong linkage between the quality of human life and the health of natural Maharashtra.
Underscoring the value of this natural capital the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Prithviraj Chavan, said “Maharashtra’s wild heritage is held in sacred trust by us for our future generations. These forests, grasslands, wetlands and coasts are also critical to the water and food security of millions of Maharashtrians. The United Nations Framework for Climate Change has advised that protecting natural ecosystems is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing the threat of a changing climate. Much of Maharashtra’s biodiversity is now protected by a network of six national parks and 41 wildlife sanctuaries. We have also added another 500 sq. km. of wildlife habitat to expand the current network of Protected Areas.”
Maharashtra’s Minister for Tourism, Shri. Chhagan Bhujbal, said, “Wildlife thrives even in the heart of urban cities such as Pune, where the Mula Mutha is a birders’ paradise. In Mumbai and several other cities and towns it is, in fact, possible for people to see as many as 10,000 flamingos in the middle of an urban locality like Sewri, and the Thane Creek, which plays host to lakhs of migratory water birds. In the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, free ranging leopards exist and there are more butterfly species found herethan in Great Britain.”
Dr. Jagdish Patil, MD,MTDC, said, “In an era of climate change, every natural ecosystem constitutes a life-saving mechanism for the people of Maharashtra. Mangroves supply marinefoods while protecting the land from sea surges and erosion. Forests temper theforce of storms, while collecting water for us to use in the lean season. Wetlands are a storehouse of carbon and help ensure our food security. The seecosystem services are the foundation of our economic security and a source oflivelihoods for millions.”
The bio-inventory of Maharashtra’s assets includes plants and animals the Konkan’smarine biomes, the ‘water towers’ and evergreen forests of the Sahyadri ranges in the Western Ghats, the grasslands of the Deccan Plateau, Vidarbha’s tiger-stocked Satpuda Range and Marathwada’s semi-arid biotope that has gained popularity as the home of the Great Indian Bustard and for the globally celebrated Ajanta and Ellora caves.
The Book “Wild Maharashtra” is a based on first hand experience and science, edited by Bittu Sahgal and Lakshmy Raman.
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