PESHAWAR, May 23: The federal government has approved a Rs72 million project for improving the forest, wildlife and living resources of Ayubia National Park. The project titled as ‘Implementation of Management Plan of Ayubia National Park’ has been approved by PSDP (Public Sector Development Plan) and funds for which have been released in recent meeting of Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC), chief conservator Wildlife, NWFP, Dr Mumtaz Malik said.

Ayubia park, which was declared as national park in 1984, is spread over an area of 8,000 acres and is providing sanctuary to rare species of wild animals, birds and plants, Dr Mumtaz said.

Under the project, he continued, the national park would be managed as a wildlife division.

The work over the project would start in next financial year and focus would be on regular monitoring of species and habitats.

The project, he said, was earlier included as a component in the European Union funded National Resource Conservation Project in forestry sector. He said the NWFP Wildlife department had trained a District Forest Officer (DFO) and prepared management plan.

However, the project was closed by EU and implementation of management plan of Ayubia Park could not take place.

Later, the NWFP Wildlife department prepared a separate project which was approved by Ministry of Environment under Departmental Development Working Party and was later approved under PSDP.—APP