Aimed at boosting tourism in what’s being called as ‘Punjab’s best kept secret’, the Nature Awareness Project recently launched in Hoshiarpur promises many adventures.
The much-awaited Nature Awareness Project was recently inaugurated by Sangat Sigh Gilzian, Punjab’s Forest Minister at Thana village of Hoshiarpur district. Bordering the sub-mountain region in Himachal Pradesh, the one-of-its-kind initiative includes a stay experience in eco-tents, off-roading tours, boating trips, and safari gypsy rides along the secluded Thana-Dehrian-Kukanet forest trail.
The state’s forest department has set up the Thana Nature Retreat amid the serene forests overlooking the pristine Thana Reservoir Lake. “This forest has a pristine beauty, and the lake front offers a picturesque stay for nature lovers,” said Parveen Kumar IFS, PCCF, HOFF, Punjab.
Urging people to visit the scenic site, Giljian said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone involved in making this awareness project a grand success. This place is truly a best-kept secret, which has the potential to become one of the most visited tourist spots in Punjab. Besides promoting eco-tourism, it will help creating employment opportunities for the local people of Kandi area. Spending time in such a landscape with an abundance of flora and fauna will be innately rewarding.”
Featuring three all-weather ecological tents along with a dining facility, the camp also offers boat rides in the the lake and a dedicated jungle safari, connecting Thana to Kukanet via Dehrian. The seven-kilometre track from Thana to Dehrian offers a great off-road ride through a series of sand dunes, and further five kilometres from Dehrian to Kukanet takes one through a gushing stream with natural bamboo canopies on either side. On the track, it is common to spot wild animals in their natural habitat.
“Depending upon the demand of the visitors other wildlife rich areas like Takhni wildlife sanctuary can be made a corridor for the visitors” said Amneet Singh, DFO Hoshiarpur.
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