In 2013, the Supreme Court banned the project, in 2020 the ban was lifted and the cheetahs would come.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi freed cheetahs brought from Namibia in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. They were taken to Kuno National Park from Gwalior Air Force Station in the morning by Air Force helicopters Chinook. On this occasion, PM Modi said that tourists and enthusiasts will have to wait for few months to see cheetahs in the forest.
He said the animals need some time to adjust to their new home. Not only this, he has also countered the claims of Congress. He said, ‘Project Cheetah’ is our effort towards environment and wildlife conservation. After a detailed study by experts, the Kuno National Park has been selected for the release of cheetahs.
Earlier, the Congress party claimed that the proposal for ‘Project Cheetah’ was approved during the Manmohan Singh government. Congress tweeted through its official Twitter handle saying, “Proposal for Project Cheetah was prepared in 2008-09.
Manmohan ji’s government gave this approval. In April 2010, the then Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh went to the Cheetah Out Reach Center in Africa. He said that in 2013 the Supreme Court banned the project, in 2020 the ban was lifted and the cheetahs would come.
The cheetah was last seen in 1947 in the year forest of Koriya district of Chhattisgarh. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said that India is resolving the ecological imbalance by bringing back the cheetah, which has become extinct in the country due to excessive hunting. Officials said that five female and three male cheetahs were brought to Gwalior airport by special cargo plane Boeing 747-400 from Windhoek, Namibian capital. Earlier these cheetahs were to be brought to Jaipur. PLC/GT
