Supreme Court orders ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

I echo Subhajit...
First, I should mention that I wasn't aware of tourism in the core zone proper, unless it has been going on illegally. My bad if I've been ignorant.
Banning tourism appears to be either an irrational step by well-meaning people, or (possibly?) something to aid poaching/tapping resources in the core zone as Subhajit thinks. In the long run, banning tourism won't help conservation. Along with the FD, visitors do a large lot of the monitoring and documentation. What is needed is stricter regulation, not a ban.

[Sucheth Lingachar]

as per my views to this SC orders, Banning tourism totally will does not help anyways in conservation but worsens still, pouching will become even more and now govt. order is like giving pouchers licence to kill.
As per my knowledge i thought till now we were not allowed to the reserve's core areas, only safaris are held in the Tourism Zone(ie Buffer Zone).
please somebody let me know the safaris held in Bandipur,Kabini,kgudi... and in central india and other places is in Core areas or in Buffer zone areas.

[Bhargava Srivari]

Sucheth,

The managing director of Jungle lodges and Resorts, Mr. Anur Reddy, clarified yesterday that since all safaris in Kabini (Sunkadkatte zone), Bandipur, K Gudi and Bhadra are in the core area, their properties across Karnataka might have to be shut down at least temporarily.

[Rajan Kanagasabai]

The Supreme court would do a great service to the country if it could enforce initiatives through the states on controlling poaching and other illegal activities in the jungle, rather than cutting out a huge revenue stream (Tourism).

Having said that, Safari's, especially up north have kind of spiralled out of hand, with the big cats almost craving for attention or putting up a display for a bee line of vehicles lining up as audiences. There is no denying the fact that they are a lot more used to vehicles, humans and crowds, which, otherwise, would have never been part of their natural existance.

What is possibly required is regulation of Tourism rather than a ban. The Safari's are Kabini are a good example. A few years ago, there were atleast 40 vehicles of different resorts criss crossing the entire jungle space every morning and evening. A well networked Walkie Talkie system ensured that the minute a big cat was spotted, the message was flashed across to the other vehicles and there was mad rush towards the sighting area, where all vehicles would converge. Today, this has been completely regulated. None of the resorts are allowed to operate their vehicles inside the jungle and JLR have been entrusted the responsibility of the safaris. Walkie Talkies have been abolished and the number of vehicles deployed at a given time are regulated. Routes are clearly marked for each vehicle and they are not allowed to deviate from their routes at any cost (even if they get a message on their mobile phone on the sighting of a tiger nearby, which is not part of the assigned route) or face stern action. This has brought in a lot of sanity into the operations.

Long story short, in my personal view, while banning tourism is not the solution here, regulating tourism is an important thing for the court to consider.

regards
Rajan

[Rajan Kanagasabai]

Tigers and Tourism can't co - exist . . . Check this out.

Tigers, tourism can’t co-exist: SC | The Asian Age

regards
Rajan

[Vijay Rajan]

Just when things were indeed looking up and the entire country seemed to be rejoicing the arrival of new cubs at all our TRs, comes this heart-breaking news.

The ban on tourism in the core areas is till 22 August, when the Supreme Court is scheduled to give a final ruling in this matter.

Apparently, RTI activist Ajay Dubey (who had filed a petition in the SC which ultimately led to this ban) insists that this judgement will not only mitigate the direct impact of tiger habitat due to tourism but also reckons that Tiger numbers in the country will improve due to this ban. Really ? This is ridiculous !

I truly hope sanity prevails and the SC takes the NTCA to task in order to better implement the Wildlife Act & frame sustainable tourism-friendly guidelines rather than pass such judgements as a knee-jerk reaction.

As Belinda Wright of WPSI has rightly said, "Tourists act like the eyes and ears for protection of tigers and tigers have lost them today".

It isn't surprising to note that Mr. Ramesh Gopal of the NTCA, whom I've been in touch, with remains incommunicado. Dear Moderators, I request you to kindly involve each & every Indiawilds member and start a campaign to ensure that this ban is lifted please.

[Vijay Rajan]

Bhargava,

JLR is the finest when it comes to preaching & practicing responsible eco-tourism, it's a pity they might need to shut down, courtesy a few unscrupulous elements running resorts on encroached land and wreaking havoc around most of our Tiger reserves. Marriage parties, bursting of crackers at such places have only added fuel to fire.

Keeping fingers crossed till 22nd of August & hope sanity prevails.

,

The managing director of Jungle lodges and Resorts, Mr. Anur Reddy, clarified yesterday that since all safaris in Kabini (Sunkadkatte zone), Bandipur, K Gudi and Bhadra are in the core area, their properties across Karnataka might have to be shut down at least temporarily.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

I sort of disagree with most of you on this. ..The SC orders are regarding tourism in core areas. Not in the buffer zones or in tourism zones and this is specifically in reaction to some states deliberately not notifying core areas. The responsibility of notifying these areas is with the state so is the choice of weighing the relative pros and cons of allowing tourism in protected areas. In the very words that the court has used why should tourism be allowed in the core areas??? The contention that tourism will act as a deterrent to poaching doesn’t sound convincing. Will somebody go back and check the last 5 reported incidents of tiger poaching in our country. where did they happen?? To my knowledge BRT, Nagarhole, Wayanad, Chandrapur.

The economic angle of how tourism provides employment to the local population deterring them from poaching and over exploitation of the forest resources might have some substance. But what % of the local populace is getting supported?? At what cost?? has some one tried to understand the effect of safari jeeps crisscrossing core areas? If at all there is a rational equation to this are the benefits so good that we cannot keep at least the core areas inviolate?? How much money / efforts are the wild life tour operators and resort owners of this country spending for conservation?? If the day to day responsibility of running tourist operations in the core areas of a forest as per a model code of conduct is given to private enterprise, God save our protected areas and their inhabitants. I hope we are not forgetting that this is India with all its crude realities.


If tourism is allowed in the core areas we are looking upto the NTCA to provide guidelines on the how and who and expecting the the FD to implement them. What guidelines are these??? You will see the tiger and it willnot see you, anybody who disturbs the vigil of a chital with Staccato firing of a DSLR will get fined, the quantity of fumes emitted by the safari jeeps shall not exceed __cubic feet? If that sounds ridiculous then anything else even if made and implemented is absolutely useless….. because that is why you need places called core areas which are absolutely inviolate and secure from unnecessary human interventions.


Rgds
Roopak