Uplift project for Ayubia National Park approved

The federal government has approved a project, costing Rs 72 million, for improving natural beauty, forest, wildlife and living resources of Ayubia National Park. The project titled `Implementation of Management Plan of Ayubia National Park' has been approved by PSDP (Public Sector Development Plan) and funds for it have been released in recent meeting of Annual Plan Co-ordination Committee (APCC), Chief Conservator Wildlife NWFP, Dr Mumtaz Malik informed, while talking to newsman here on Thursday (May 19).
Ayubia park, which was declared as National Park in 1984, is spread over an area of 8,000 acres and is providing sanctuary to rare species of wild animals, birds and plants, Dr Mumtaz informed.
Under the project, he continued, the national park would be managed as a wildlife division.
He said work on the project would start in next financial year and focus would be on regular monitoring of species and habitats.
The project, he said, was earlier included as a component in the European Union funded National Resource Conservation Project in Forestry sector. For the said project, he continued, the NWFP Wildlife department had trained a District Forest Officer (DFO) and prepared Management Plan.
However, the project was closed by EU and implementation of Management Plan of Ayubia Park could not take place.
Later, the NWFP Wildlife department prepared a separated project which was approved by Ministry of Environment under Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) and was later approved under PSDP.
Chief Conservator NWFP Wildlife said the project would assist in maintaining and improving the natural beauty of the park.
The measures to be taken for implementation of the management plan include enhancement of park's staff, improving visitor's facilities, promotion of eco-tourism and nature conservation education. He said the project has been chalked out by NWFP Wildlife department, but the stakeholders would also be involved in its execution. The management plan implementation would improve life support system besides air and water quality of the Ayubia National Park and attract more wild species, Dr Mumtaz concluded.