The Economic Times
27 Sep, 2012, 04.58AM IST,

The govt’s expert body on tiger conservation told the apex court that public participation was critical to tiger conservation and that regulated tourism should be permitted in core/critical tiger habitats.


NEW DELHI: Faced with the Supreme Court's two-month-old interim ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves, the Union government's expert body on tiger conservation told the apex court that public participation was critical to tiger conservation and that regulated tourism should be permitted in core/critical tiger habitats.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Wednesday submitted new guidelines to the SC stating that at present, tourists were permitted to visit only 20% of the core areas of tiger reserves and it was well within the ecologically permissible levels. Taking into account the court's concern for tiger conservation, the NTCA, functioning under the ministry of environment and forests, said that conservation efforts must have public participation and regulated tourism was an effective and invaluable tool to harness community support for this purpose.

The NTCA submitted the new guidelines to the court. which said, "With the importance of tourism in tiger conservation in mind, it is recommended that a maximum of 20% of the core/critical tiger habitat usage (not exceeding the present usage) for regulated, low-impact tourist visitation may be permitted."

The new guidelines said, "Any core area in a tiger reserve from which relocation has been carried out will not be used for tourism infrastructure." This means that the guidelines permit continuance of existing lodging facilities put up by the government and private people in core areas but no future construction would be allowed.

The guidelines also kept in mind the rehabilitation of forest dwellers."Tourism infrastructure must conform to environment-friendly, low-impact aesthetic architecture, including solar energy, waste recycling, rainwater harvesting, natural cross-ventilation, proper sewage disposal and merging with surroundings. All tourist facilities in core areas must conform to these specifications," it added. It also recommended phasing out of permanent tourist facilities in core/critical areas.

Taking into account the court's concern for tiger conservation, the NTCA said that conservation efforts must have public participation and regulated tourism was an effective and invaluable tool to harness community support for this purpose.

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Sucheth S L