Singinawa Jungle Lodge in Kanha, India

The lodge is an ecologically responsible lodge. We have incorporated the following practises to ensure that we minimise adverse impacts on the environment.

We have taken 55 acres of degraded, over grazed land and restored it to the point where wildlife has begun to use it extensively and tigers, dhole, and barasingha have been seen to use the land. Part of the land was used as the town dump, all of it was covered with lantana, trees were lopped extensively by villagers for firewood and cattle grazed on the land the year round. Many thousand plants of bamboo, several hundred fruiting and flowering trees were planted on the land. After extensive experimentation, Fire management and manual removal of weeds were identified as the most effective methods of control of invasive species.

We provide an eco-friendly, plastic free resort. Only about 3 acres of the 55 acres of the land alongside the river Tannaur has been used for accommodation and service quarters. The rest of the land has been allowed to regenerate, while we have planted several thousand bamboo plants and over 400 fruiting and flowering trees. to attract birds and other wildlife. Over 60% of the staff has been locally employed. Many of these people have never worked in the tourism industry before. We are an equal opportunity employer. 

All our external lighting is solar. We use power saving bulbs. As far as possible we use only recycled paper in the lodge. Examples include maps, wildlife checklist, coasters, food boxes, sewing kits, medi kits, shower cap cases, laundry bags etc. and even our bill books. All vehicles carry garbage bags to ensure that no rubbish is accidentally left within the Park during safari. All clients are briefed on codes of conduct in the Park by naturalists before they embark on safari.

All buildings are constructed with double walls with an inbuilt three inch gap providing thermal and sound insulation cutting costs of cooling and heating. We have constructed rain water harvesting pits and channel roof water and surface run-off into a storage pool. We use air coolers for cooling the main lodge rather than air conditioning. All public areas are heated using fire places for which we grow our own wood. Water is heated using boilers that run on waste or CNG rather than electricity. Our garbage is segregated, sorted and then sent for recycling or for composting.

We work with the local school and are helping with the construction of school rooms for the Kohoka middle school. We provide for materials required to build classrooms, the villagers build the classroom themselves and the land is provided by the local panchayat. We help the villagers with basic medical aid and medicines by providing referrals, and conducting check up camps. We are in the process of setting up a model farm to show villagers how to utilise local indigenous species as an additional source of income by pinpointing species with medicinal and other uses.

We work with the forest samitis (local forest department) to monitor the buffer zone area, and participate in local cultural activities. Vegetables and milk is brought from the local community market. Bamboo railing and bamboo furniture are made by the locals. Temporary labour hired only from surrounding villages. We educate the villagers on sound agricultural practices, and research on local medicinal and indigenous plants and how it can be used to augment their income.