Poaching, not tourism threatening tigers: Sahay

“Unfortunately, tigers are not disturbed by the tourists, but by poachers.” Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay had to say these words reacting to the Supreme Court’s blanket ban on human activities in core areas of Tiger Reserves.

Admitting the necessity of protecting tigers and need to boost tourism, he said, “We cannot compromise on tiger protection. But we have to find a way out so that tourism and tiger protection happen simultaneously.”

Dissatisfied by the lethargy of states in complying with the court's three-month-old order directing them to notify core and buffer zones of tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries, the Supreme Court bench put a blanket ban on July 25 on tourism in core areas of Tiger Reserves.

Passing an interim order on a PIL filed by Ajay Dubey, the Bench said, “Till final directions of the court, core areas in tiger reserves will not be used for tourism activities.”

Dubey alleged that that commercial exploitation of core areas through tourism was seriously intruding breeding of tigers and their habitat. This has put the state tourism departments in a fix as dozens of such projects came to a grinded halt.

West Bengal tourism minister Rachpal Singh admitted that state tourism department had already completed erecting four watch towers in core area of UNESCO heritage site Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve and was about to open those in coming tourist season. “We have halted further activities and have to go through the Supreme Court’s order before taking any further step,” Rachpal Singh said.

Sahay said as that order is an interim order and not the final one, the Union Government would look to the Court only at this juncture. Supreme Court will take up this issue again on August 22. “We are in touch with concerned (Forest) department on this and hope to find a way out of protecting tigers as well as to boost-up tourism.”