Need Responsible Tourism

Recently, the Supreme Court of India, in its interim order, has banned tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves in the country. It is important to mention that the states must notify the buffer and core zones of the reserves within three weeks, which is a legal requirement under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Our petition was focussed on the issue of stopping irresponsible tourism and to bring tourism under certain rules and regulations. We also brought it to the notice of the Supreme Court that the government of Madhya Pradesh had not notified the buffer zone of the Panna Tiger Reserve, which prompted the apex court to pass the order on all the states having tiger reserves to notify the buffer zones in their respective states. The order is an important one and shows the sensitivity of the court.

Madhya Pradesh had a tiger population of 700 in 2000, which has now dwindled to 257. This speaks volumes. Conservation was getting detrimentally affected by mindless tourism. Large number of vehicles loaded with people were traumatising the endangered species. The brutal killing of the tigress in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in 2010 by some tourists is a case in point.

I reiterate that “no citizen will be denied” an opportunity to go and see the country’s forests and wildlife which are our natural heritage. The buffer zone in tiger reserves are meant for exactly that purpose and should be properly developed, more so because forest area is shrinking. As far as tourism in the core area is concerned, it must be as per Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 which says that core areas should be kept inviolate. The inquiry committee which was constituted by the government to probe the decimation of tigers in Panna, has also said that “no notification” of buffer zone is one of the reasons of decimation of the tigers. However, Chief Minister Shivraj Patil seems uninterested to clearly demarcate the buffer zone for the Panna Reserve forest. It is quite evident that blatant commercial interests are at play and the government is under pressure from the mining mafia.

In 2003, the MP government had a study conducted to determine the carrying capacity of tourists in its tiger reserves. Stating about excessive tourism pressure in the reserves, the report made detailed recommendations, hardly any of which have been implemented.

The government thinks that tourism effectively protects tigers and provides employment to locals. To that effect, according to newly proposed tourism policy, the dwellers of the tiger reserves will get 10 per cent of the profit of tourism. Interestingly, in the  last 30 years, not  a single tribal could emerge as an owner of the resort situated in tiger reserves. In fact, tourism has proved to be beneficial to the landed class who have nothing to do with tiger conservation. “The best model for wilderness is no visitors at all” and, if they must come, better to have “high price and low numbers” as the South African safari pioneer Colin Bell has said rightly. And, instead of being made stakeholders, the locals are given only menial jobs, if at all.       

Prayatna, an environmental advocacy group, is raising issues regarding banning of tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves in accordance with the law. The Prime Minister, in his letter written on April 10, 2010 to the chief ministers, had urged to take urgent steps for the conservation of tigers, but no state in India took it seriously. What the state promotes is a vicious kind of uncontrolled tourism with its infamous “tiger shows” that corral tigers with dozens of vehicles and elephants loaded with tourists as audience.

I am concerned with the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which does not permit tourism in the core area of tiger reserves. Even while my petition was admitted in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2008 and notices were sent to the government, former wildlife warden, one Pabla sent emails to the effect that private parties should do all in their power to make sure that the PIL did not succeed.

I had lodged a complaint with the government but no action has been taken against him till date. Another RTI that we filed helped us obtain a confidential report written by the director of the Panna Tiger Reserve that revealed the nexus between forest officials and poachers, which is quite an eye-opener.

This is the real face of officers responsible for the protection of tiger. My commitment is to the people and to the defenceless animals, and I will continue fighting.

(The views expressed by the author are personal)