Wildlife experts red flag tourism plans in tiger sanctuaries and reserves
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Bhubaneswar: Will Odisha meet the fate of some of the famed tiger reserves from uncontrolled tourism and eventually see big cats vanishing?
A recent govt document involving a discussion of senior officers from multiple departments _ the proceedings in possession with TOI _ on a tourism master plan reveals an ambitious projects to develop tourism near sanctuaries and national parks.
The tourism department shared the proceedings with the forest and other departments on June 6.
"The notification of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) would be revised by the forest department through MoEFCC and remove the no construction, no commercial clause. ESZ matters, including those of Similipal Tiger Reserve and Satkosia Tiger Reserve, would be reviewed by the chief secretary involving the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and others," the proceeding sent by tourism department to the forest and other departments said.
It further added that the chief secretary will move MoEFCC to obtain permission for the use of forest land for non-site specific purposes.
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Worried wildlife conservationists said in reserves and sanctuaries, eco-tourism should be developed by forest department and not by the tourism department, amid fears of private hoteliers setting up hospitality industries in these sensitive zones.
"Even the Tiger Task Force (TTF) in 2005, after the Sariska mayhem, decided that tourism regulation and management of tourism in tiger reserves must remain with the forest department.
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If any tourism activities (buffer areas) are to be developed, it has to be controlled by eco-tourism run by communities," said Anup Nayak, former Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Conservationist Biswajit Mohanty said that the intention of the tourism department is clear from the document. "If they have their way, then it will undoubtedly invite doomsday for wildlife. With the state's sanctuaries and parks still struggling with dwindling prey count and no sanctuary (Debrigarh and Satkosia) having a single tiger, how can the tourism department justify the consequences? Similipal, whose habitat is well managed now, will completely lose its inviolate nature," he said.
Mohanty questioned how one can overlook the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. "Ranthambhore's experience clearly shows that if tourist interest is allowed to take precedence over conservation, it can be extremely detrimental," the TTF pointed out. In 2005, TTF recommended that tourism activities inside wildlife areas be under the complete management of the forest department.
Mohanty further argued that a significant population of Odisha's rural community is dependent on the forest (83% rural and 22% tribal population), which is one of the highest in India. "Tourism inside 33 percent of the forest area will destroy the forest. Then what is the fate of the people of the state?" he questioned. Officials said the state has only five per cent of its total geographical area as sanctuary, reserves, and national parks
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