Tourism ban in core tiger areas extended

Kumar put some searching questions to the Centre as it made a fresh plea for a review of the apex courts July 24 order banning tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves.

Extending the ban on tourism activities in the core areas of tiger reserves,the Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Centre,blaming it for dithering from its position on the basis of which the court had prohibited tourism in core areas.

A Bench of Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter

Kumar put some searching questions to the Centre as it made a fresh plea for a review of the apex courts July 24 order banning tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. Now you want us to review this ban. What happened to your guidelines? You have done it prepared the guidelines after due deliberation. We think you are now trying to make up. We want to know on what basis did you recommend the ban initially? What is the data available? What are you going to do to save tigers? Earlier it was 13,000,now it has come down to 1,200. You are more worried about the commercial activities, the Bench told the Centres counsel Waseem Ahmed Kadiri.

The apex court made the observation after the Centre made a mention of its affidavits filed in the court for permission to review its earlier guidelines for conservation of tiger. The apex court had on July 24 imposed an interim ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves on the basis of same guidelines.

The ban extended on Wednesday would remain in place at least till the next hearing on August 29.

The court took strong exception to the governments flip-flop over the issue and questioned them as to why they had initially recommended a ban.

What exactly you have done for the tiger project? What about the core areas you have promised to take steps for? The Union of India has not done anything except filling affidavits. Why did you initially recommend the ban? Take a stand, said the Bench.

Almost a month after the court imposed the ban,the Centre,by an affidavit filed a day before,told the court that a ban on tourism would cause loss of livelihood to the local population as well as endanger wildlife and forests.

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The affidavit filed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forests said: State governments have expressed concern that many local people depend on tourism for their livelihood and hence the stoppage of tourism in core areas would result in loss of income,leading to discontent which may be a threat to wildlife,forests.