PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually inaugurated the Champawat Saras Corbett Festival -2026 from his camp office on Wednesday. He said that the seven day festival is not just an event, but a vibrant celebration of the State’s cultural dignity, natural beauty, the strength of the mother power, the enthusiasm of the youth and the resolve for a self-reliant Uttarakhand. He said that this year the festival is also being organized as the ‘Winter Corbett Festival’ which will give new impetus to winter tourism in the state. He added that the festival aims to establish Champawat on the national adventure tourism map through adventure activities such as paragliding, mountain biking, hot air ballooning, river rafting, bird watching and trekking. He expressed confidence that these efforts will provide new opportunities for youth and develop employment opportunities locally. Dhami said that Jim Corbett and his autobiography has given global recognition to the Champawat- Lohaghat region among wildlife and tiger lovers. In 1907, he killed a notorious man-eating tigress in the Champawat region, saving hundreds of lives and inspiring wildlife conservation. Dhami said that effort is being made to make Champawat a model district. The CM informed in detail about the various development projects being undertaken in the district. He said that work is underway on the Sharda corridor project under which a riverfront will be developed from Tanakpur to Banbasa.