Gurugram, Jan 11 (IANS): Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh has visited the proposed Jungle Safari site in the Aravali range in Gurugram and gave necessary instructions to the concerned officials, officials said.

The Minister held a meeting with the departmental officials in Chandigarh on Thursday regarding the project and instructed them to work on the Jungle Safari at a fast pace and personally visit there to take stock of the situation.

As part of these efforts, he visited the proposed site on Friday morning along with the officials of the Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department.

During his visit, Minister Singh instructed the officials to move forward with this project by identifying about two-and-a-half thousand acres of land in the degraded area of ??the Aravali range in villages of Sakatpur, Gairatpurbas, Sikohpur and Norangpur in the first phase of the Jungle Safari project.

"Officers should take special care that the forest of Dhok in the Aravali range should not be disturbed in this entire process of identifying the land. While working towards eco-tourism, whatever basic facilities will be provided for the convenience of tourists will be established on the identified land in the first phase," he said.

The Minister added that due to this area being close to Delhi, there are immense possibilities of eco-tourism here.

The forest department officials should consider every possible plan to promote eco-tourism here, Singh said.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has now handed over the responsibility of this project in principle from the Tourism Department to the Forest and Wildlife Department.

Even before this, Minister Singh has observed the Green Wall project and has taken steps towards implementing this project in the Aravalli mountain range.

During this, PCCF Vivek Saxena of the Haryana Forest Department, Forest Conservator of Gurugram Subhash Yadav, Gurugram DFOs -- Rajkumar, Nuh Pradeep -- and other officers were present.