Eco-Friendly Dinking water project has been started at Amaltas Tourism Complex, Sillari pench Tiger Reserve.
Livelihood is also being provided through this project to the local people in the villages in the buffer area of Pench. For this purpose, department have handed over this project to Eco-devlopement committee, Ghoti for running. It will enhance the ownership among community. The project is an further add on in the flagship programme “Plastic Free Pench”.
The later programme was strated in 2022 in Pench tiger reserve in which sticker is pasted on each plastic items a tourist carries and ₹ 20 is charged for each item. Entire money is returned when tourist shows the plsatic items after returning from safari for setting up water project, ₹ 37 lakhs fund was sanctioned during 2023-24 from District Mineral Fund. These drinking water glass bottles are being supplied at all the safari gates in Pench Tiger Reserve.
Two glass water bottles are being supplied to each gyspy, of which cost is included in the gypsy charges. They can purchase additional water bottles from the park after paying Rs 120. The empty water bottles has been designed in such a way that it can be used as souvenir by tourists. If a person wants to purchase only water, they have to pay ₹ 20 at canteens, refreshing points and otyer places. Here, they have to return the bottles.
These bottles are recycled through washing, uv disinfection, and then manual checking; after which they are repackaged and sealed in bottling facility at Amlatas campus. Reserve is discussing with resorts and shop keepers in buffer areas also so that they can replace the use of the plastic bottle with glass bottle.