ETW Staff – Mumbai
Further to practising responsible tourism, Taj Safaris is working on creating unique products for promoting the Voluntourism concept in India. Elaborating on the new initiative, Mridula Tangirala, director – operations, Taj Safaris said, “Through this initiative, guests will be encouraged to involve themselves in working with women and children of the local village communities. Depending on the guest’s area of expertise they could teach certain languages and skills; assist in health and education camps, or assist in the installation of solar panels and smokeless stoves and much more.”
Taj Safaris along with &Beyond has undertaken development programmes to engage neighbouring communities in projects around the four lodges of Pashan Garh (Panna Tiger Reserve), Mahua Kothi (Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve), Banjaar Tola (Kanha Tiger Reserve) and Baghvan (Pench Tiger Reserve). Talking about the conservation practices, she informed, “Taj Safaris practises responsible tourism by keeping a small inventory and only covering two-five per cent of the land. The 200 acres at Panna and 90 acres in Kanha have become mini sanctuaries in themselves. Taj Safaris practises a stated policy of training up locals to empower them to hold front-line jobs. Until now we have trained 230 locals and have set up two food craft course centres at Khajuraho and Kanha. These locals in turn will be infusing around Rs two crore per annum in the local economies.” The company has also launched Mahua Kothi, a conservation lesson programme, run by the lodge’s naturalist experts, to teach local children.