New Delhi: The ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project, led by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and supported by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil), is set to welcome the first Cheetahs on Indian soil in over seven decades on September 17th, 2022. IndianOil is the first and only corporation to contribute to “Project Cheetah” through CSR.
A source population of 15-20 cheetahs will be flown in from Namibia and South Africa for introduction at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh as part of this project. IndianOil will contribute Rs 50.22 crore over a five-year period to the project components, namely Introduction to Cheetahs, Habitat Management and Protection, Eco Development, Staff Training, and Veterinary Healthcare.
The cheetahs will be flown in from Namibia to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park as a symbol of the country’s dedication to achieving the Prime Minister’s Mission LiFE vision. The Mission LiFE vision is a mantra given to the world by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a truly inclusive world in which human greed does not outweigh the need for our flora and fauna to survive, and where humans live in harmony with nature.
Previously, on August 2, 2022, IndianOil signed an MoU with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the transcontinental relocation of Cheetah in its historical range in India. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mr S M Vaidya, Chairman of IndianOil, and Dr S P Yadav, Addl. Member Secretary and Director General (Project Tiger) (NTCA).
Speaking about the MoU, Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, said, “Led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is now leading the way in terms of sustainable progress and ecological conservation. Indian PSUs have been doing well to strengthen the Government’s sustainable endeavours, and the Cheetah Introduction project is one such example.”
“While the tiger has served as a flagship and umbrella species of forest systems, the cheetah will fill the void for open forests, savannah, and grasslands,” said Mr Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Labour & Employment.
Mr Vaidya expressed IndianOil’s steadfast commitment to supporting this ambitious ecological project, saying, “The MoU between IndianOil and NTCA demonstrates the nation’s resolve to nurture a greener, brighter, and vibrant new India. I am confident that NTCA will steward this project on a mission mode, and let me assure everyone of IndianOil’s steadfast commitment to supporting this endeavour at all times.”
