On report claiming trees felled for PM visit to release cheetahs, MP says 'fake'

Media report that said number of trees were felled to make arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Kuno is ‘fake’: Madhya Pradesh Forest Department

The forest department of Madhya Pradesh on Friday called a media report as fake that said a number of trees were felled to make arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Kuno National Park last week eight cheetahs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with state officials of Madhya Pradesh at Kuno National Park during the event of cheetah reintroduction project.(PTI)

The report also said that 300 guests attended the much-publicised event despite the national park having only one guesthouse, adding tents were set up to accommodate the VIPs. The report said helipads were also constructed in a similar manner.

A forest department official said, "No tree was felled for making helipads at Kuno. The site selected as such was devoid of trees, the news about the felling of trees is absolutely false.."

"Neither there were 300 guests nor any tented accommodation was made for them. In fact, tented accommodation was used at the Sasaipura resort, where the dignitaries and officers were housed. The news about the creation of tented accommodation at the Kuno National Park is baseless," he added.

The fact-checking wing of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in a tweet said: "Fake media reports claim that a large no. of trees were cut in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary to make arrangements for PM's visit with around 300 guests for release of 8 Cheetahs. Lodging arrangements were made at Sesaipura FRH & Tourism Jungle Lodge."

On September 17, Modi released the first batch of eight cheetahs – five females and three males – from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The move came 70 years after India witnessed the extinction of the big cat in 1952.

(With agency inputs)