Gir (Gujarat) [India], March 3 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday flagged off motorcycles for the enhanced mobility of frontline forest staff in Gujarat.

'During his visit to Gir National Park, PM Narendra Modi flagged off motorcycles for enhanced mobility of frontline forest staff. He also interacted with field-level functionaries, which included frontline staff, eco guides and trackers,' Prime Minister's Office posted on X.

Earlier today, PM Modi visited Gir National Park in Gujarat, where he chaired the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife and released the report of the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation conducted in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins.

According to Prime Minister's Office, this pioneering effort involved surveying 28 rivers across eight states, with 3150 mandays dedicated to covering over 8,500 kilometers. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest numbers, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.

The National Board for Wildlife reviewed various initiatives undertaken by the Government in wildlife conservation, highlighting achievements in the creation of new protected areas and species-specific flagship programs such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and Project Snow Leopard, among others.

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of awareness on dolphin conservation by involvement of local population and villagers in the areas. He also advised organising exposure visits of school children in dolphin habitat areas.

The Prime Minister also advised on research and documentation of medicinal plants in forest areas, which can play a crucial role in animal health management.

He also mentioned the possibilities of promoting use of plant based medicine systems for animal health management on a global scale.

The Prime Minister also suggested for enhanced cooperation in the Co-ordination unit under the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

He also interacted with field level functionaries at Gir, which included frontline staff, eco guides and trackers. (ANI)