Tourism workers in MP Pench to protest ban

TNN | Aug 21, 2012, 05.48AM IST NAGPUR: Over 150 stakeholders including Gypsy owners, guides and local villagers adjoining Madhya Pradesh side of Pench Tiger Reserve will take out a peace rally on Tuesday demanding withdrawal of ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves in the country. On July 24, Supreme Court had imposed an interim ban on tourism in core areas after states failed to notify buffer zones around their tiger reserves. The rally has been planned a day before the court is scheduled to review the interim ban. Sandeep Singh, who is leading the rally, told TOI the tourism ban would leave hundreds of youths unemployed and deprive their families of bread and butter. "At this juncture Pench in MP is not ready to take on the challenge of tourism in buffer unlike Tadoba in Maharashtra where buffer is almost ready," Singh said. A section of villagers said the ban would deprive them of livelihood as many of them worked in resorts near Pench. Singh said most of the Gypsy owners were youths from nearby villages who had bought vehicles on loans and had instalments to pay. The peace rally will start at 8.30am and travel a distance of 50km to Seoni where the villagers will submit a memorandum to district collector Ajit Kumar and Pench field director Alok Kumar. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tourism-workers-in-MP-Pench-to-protest-ban/articleshow/15579407.cms