JOIN USThe government stated its position in view of reports that it was contemplating banning visitors going into the tiger reserves.
The Environment and Forests and Tourism Ministries, clearly anxious to dispel the notion that there will be complete ban on tourists in tiger territory, stated the government position separately.
Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh, while stating that there was no such proposal with the government, said his ministry was, in fact, working on detailed guidelines for promoting ecologically-sustainable tourism that will keep in mind the “carrying capacity” of each reserve.
The guidelines are being prepared keeping in view the concerns arising out of reports about mushrooming tourist lodges around tiger reserves, such as in the case of Corbett National Park.
Ramesh said his ministry believed that tourism was essential and the revenues from tourism should flow back directly into the management of each tiger reserve so as to benefit the local communities.
“The advantages of tourism should be felt by these local communities who should be encouraged to develop a stake in the protection of these tiger reserves. This policy of ‘ploughing back’ is already in place in most reserves and it will be in place in all Project Tiger reserves very soon,” he added.