No efforts made for decades to reintroduce cheetahs in India: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at the previous governments, saying that no constructive efforts were made to reintroduce cheetahs in India after they became extinct from the country seven decades ago.

He also said that the Project Cheetah, under which the felines were reintroduced, was his government's endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation.

Modi, who turned 72 on Saturday, was speaking after releasing two of the eight cheetahs flown in from Namibia into special enclosures in the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

"It is unfortunate that we declared cheetahs extinct in 1952, but for decades no constructive efforts were made to reintroduce them in India. Now, with new strength and vigour, the country has embarked on the project of reviving the population of cheetahs during this 'amrit kaal'," he said.

In his address after kicking off the cheetah introduction project conceived by the previous United Progressive Alliance