Delhi, Kerala take strides in promoting eco-tourism and conserving wildlife

Delhi inaugurated the first of its kind Global Wildlife Fair 2025 to promote eco tourism and spotlight the capital’s rich natural heritage. The three day Global Wildlife Fair being organised by Delhi's Tourism Department, commenced at the Constitution Club of India and will run until October 12. The opening session was graced by Delhi's Minister for Art, Culture and Tourism, Kapil Mishra.

In his address, Mishra said that until now, tourism in Delhi has mostly focused on its historic monuments such as the Red Fort and Qutub Minar. Going forward, the government will shift attention to nature and biodiversity.

"Delhi is home to diverse species of birds and mammals, along with unique ecological areas such as biodiversity parks, the Yamuna riverbank, and the Ridge. Unfortunately, these aspects of Delhi's natural heritage have been neglected,” Mishra said. The minister announced that weekly nature walks and other programmes will soon be launched to stimulate eco tourism, supported by state funds and collaboration with stakeholders.

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He added that that the government is committed to revive and protecting Delhi’s natural habitats, and said, “With collective efforts of committed individuals, Delhi can emerge as a global centre for eco tourism.” He framed the initiative as being in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for sustainable and nature based tourism across India.

Kerala has become the first state to pass a Bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Kerala Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill, along with the Forest Amendment Bill, marks a major step

towards addressing rising human-animal conflicts and ensuring justice for…

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 9, 2025

Meanwhile, Kerala has made history by becoming the first state in India to pass a Bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Kerala Legislative Assembly approved the amendment recently, aiming to reduce increasing incidents of human animal conflict across the state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to social media platform X to announce the milestone, writing, "These reforms reaffirm Kerala’s commitment to safeguarding both human life and wildlife, fostering harmony between people and nature.” The Bill now awaits the assent of the Raj Bhavan, which will forward it to the President, as it involves changes to a central law.

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State Forest Minister A K Saseendran had informed the Assembly earlier that the state introduced the amendment because repeated appeals to the Centre for timely reform had gone unheeded. He noted that human animal conflict affects around one third of Kerala’s population. The proposed changes would empower the state to declare wildlife as vermin in certain cases and grant Kerala greater flexibility to act in pressing circumstances.

(With inputs from PTI)