Tigers may get out of sight for tourists

Neha Shukla, TNN | Nov 24, 2011, 02.07AM IST LUCKNOW: The tiger may become more elusive for tourists in the wildlife sanctuaries. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has filed a plea in the Supreme Court stating that core areas of wildlife reserves be kept out of bounds for tourists and entry restricted only to the buffer or fringe areas. The apex court is likely to decide on the issue in the first week of December. This could be the last season for tourists to have a close look at tigers in Dudhwa national park which opened for public on November 15. If NTCA has its way, the state governments might have to redraw the tourism zones in the tiger reserves since most of them allow tourism in identified routes of core areas. In Dudhwa reserve, the tourism zone spreads over 350 sq km (approximately). It allows tourism inside ranges of Kishenpur, which is completely a core area, besides ranges of Mailani, Sathiana and Sonaripur of Dudhwa. Deputy director, Dudhwa, Ganesh Bhatt said, "If the need occurs, then tourism zone will have to be re-drawn." Dudhwa reserve is spread over an area of 600 sq km and tourist movement is allowed only on identified routes. But till now, tourism in core area is allowed. "Reason was the geographical spread of Dudhwa, it made clear cut distinction between core and buffer areas slightly difficult," said former director, Dudhwa, GC Mishra. Core area is the middle part of a national park or sanctuary and has good wild population w i t h no human disturbance. In any tiger reserve, tourism zone comprises about 20-25% of the best area, with maximum possibilities of seeing wildlife. About 30-35% of the best area is ideally marked as the core area in the management plan. Core zone, tourism zone and eco-restoration zone are three essential parts of a reserve. "The zones can be changed in terms of area in the management plan, but shouldn't include the breeding area," said former Project Tiger director RL Singh. In order to preserve the core area, NTCA had submitted an affidavit in response to a PIL by a Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who challenged tourism in core areas of tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh. NTCA says, "Core or critical areas of national parks and sanctuaries are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of scheduled tribes or such other forest dwellers." The word 'inviolate' means without any disturbance by human beings, NTCA said. "The core or critical tiger habitats would not be used for any form of tourism, and the ongoing tourism activities in such areas should be phased out in fringe or buffer areas without affecting its corridor value," the authority said. In Dudhwa, however, a section of people feel that banning tourism will not change much in favour of tigers. "The point is to encourage eco-tourism," said member, state wildlife board, VP Singh. Dudhwa tiger reserve comprises three protected areas, 204 sq km of Kishenpur sanctuary, 440 sq km of Katarniaghat and 680 sq km of Dudhwa national park. Kishenpur and Dudhwa national park form the core areas. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tigers-may-get-out-of-sight-for-tourists/articleshow/10848778.cms