Agartala, Aug 6 : In a bid to boost tourism and protect forests, the Tripura Forest Department has decided to set up six eco-parks in the state, state Forest and Environment Minister Animesh Debbarma said on Wednesday.

The Minister said the proposed eco-parks would not only promote tourism and conservation but also help generate livelihood opportunities for local communities.

'The proposed six eco-parks would be developed in six of the state's eight districts, except Dhalai and South Tripura districts. Around Rs 10 crore would be spent for this purpose,' Debbarma told IANS. He said that the Joint Forest Management Group (JFMG) would govern these proposed eco-parks.

According to the Minister, the Forest Department's main target is to create assets and aim to make the best use of its resources while making any plan that involves the forests.

Minister Debbarma also said that the forest department would establish roadside small market zones and forest producers' outlets to facilitate people to sell forest and agricultural products on roadsides.

The Forest and Environment Minister earlier said that the state government has been implementing three externally aided projects to protect the forests and also provide livelihood to forest dwellers. Of the three externally aided projects, one was funded by the Government of Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a soft loan. The other was a grant from the Federal Republic of Germany through KFW, and the third one is a World Bank-funded Rs 1,764.94 crore project.

The World Bank is funding a Rs 1,764.94 crore project called the Enhancing Landscape and Ecosystem Management (ELEMENT) Project in Tripura. This project focuses on forest management, community development, and enhancing livelihoods in the state. The project also aims to create jobs for the youth and women, in particular, by promoting forest-based entrepreneurship in the state.

/IANS