The Pawalgarh conservation reserve in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand has been renamed the Sitavani conservation reserve. The government order to this effect was issued on the directions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in view of the historic occasion of the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Sitavani conservation reserve which is famous for tigers, elephants, avian fauna and butterflies also contains an ancient temple of goddess Sita and Maharshi Valmiki Ashram. According to officials, the Uttarakhand government is the first State government in India which has named a protected area after Sita. This jungle covers an area of 5,824.76 hectares and is visited by a considerable number of tourists and pilgrims. The demand for naming this protected area Sitavani conservation reserve had been communicated by a number of children from the Ramnagar and nearby areas in a letter to the chief minister. The CM had directed the Forest department officials to do the needful and the government order to this effect was issued on Saturday. Dhami said that Lord Ram has had a connection with Uttarakhand. Considering this, the Pawalgarh conservation reserve has been renamed the Sitavani conservation reserve. He said that the children and local residents of the region had written a letter to him raising this demand. The decision was taken by the State government to also honour their sentiments, the CM added.

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