Grasslands to be developed in Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Work has begun to develop man-made grasslands in five ranges of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve to raise wildlife conservation standards at the park and boost its bio-diversity, officials said on Monday.

Chilla, Motichur, Beriwada, Dhaulkhand and Chillawali ranges have been selected for the grassland project and the staff of these ranges have been asked to identify 100 hectares of land for the purpose, Rajaji Tiger Reserve Director Amit Verma said.

"The first phase of the work on the project to develop grasslands in the five selected ranges of the reserve has started," he said.

Once land for the purpose is identified, it will be cleared of all unwanted growth, Verma said.

After solar fencing of the identified area, it will be planted with different types of vegetation to serve as fodder for herbivores residing in the reserve, he added.

These grasslands will be on the lines of the ones found in Dhela, Dhara and Jhirna ranges of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, Verma said.

These grasslands will be good for the growth of bio-diversity in the reserve and will help in raising the quality of wildlife conservation, he said.