The national parks in Madhya Pradesh are set to reopen on October 1, but the State Government is still to reply to a PIL on tourism in core areas, writes Vivek Trivedi

The national parks of the State would be thrown open for tourists barely after a week but uncertainty still prevails over the fate of tiger tourism in the erstwhile Tiger State. The State Government is yet to file a reply with the apex court in response to a PIL, which sought to ban tourism in core areas last year.

With the tourism-friendly bureaucrats in the Forest Department office of the State, the tourism industry has increased by leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. Despite the fact that wildlife volunteers and activists are calling for rooftops for controlling the burgeoning tourism activities in the greater interest of forests and wild animals, the tourism sector is witnessing stupendous growth unhindered.

The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that there are around 112 tourist resorts established in the close proximity of national parks "against the norms". The matter came to light after a question in this regard was raised in the Lok Sabha recently.

The issue is expected to come up in the Supreme Court for the next hearing in September end. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Madhya Pradesh Government have been asked to respond prior to the scheduled hearing. While NTCA has already filed its reply, the State Government is preparing for filing the same shortly.

The much-awaited SC decision is in the wake of a petition filed by RTI activist Ajay Dubey, challenging the order of the Jabalpur High Court on a PIL filed by him earlier on the issue.

The petition had called for "banning all kinds of commercial tourism, hotelling and other human activities in the core/critical areas as notified in the Tiger Reserves in the State", where there has been a decline in tiger population in the latest census. The petition pointed out that "core/critical areas" are meant for tigers and tigers only and for nobody else.

Supporting the contention of the petitioner, the NTCA had earlier stated "…the core/critical tiger habitats have to be kept inviolate and only management interventions can be allowed by the State Government in the said area. In such areas if tourism activities are taking place, they are required to be phased out in the fringe/buffer area."

The State Government, while stating that it had permitted various commercial tourist activities, hotelling and human intervention in "core/critical areas" of tiger reserves, contended that it contributes to a lion's share of revenue obtained from tourism.

The High Court delivered a ruling in its favour, and more resorts were found to be mushrooming in the area. However, at the face of the pending SC decision, the fate of the booming resorts in the State, once home to the largest tiger populace in the country, hangs in balance. The experts argued that the issue of making core/ critical areas inviolate has already been provisioned in Chapter-IV (B)-of 2006 amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

However in February 2011, providing temporary relief to the State Forest Department, a double bench of the Jabalpur High Court had declined to put an 'immediate' ban on tourism activities inside core areas of tiger reserves in the State, as requested by a PIL.

Not satisfied with the verdict, the petitioner had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) with the Supreme Court. Responding to the Special Leave Petition filed by the RTI activist in connection with the case pertaining to banning of tourism activities inside core/critical area of the tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh, the Supreme Court in July had issued notices to the NTCA and MP Government and sought replies within three weeks time.

In the last couple of years, there was so much confusion on the future tiger tourism in Madhya Pradesh. However, then Minister of State for Environment and Forest (MoEF) had tried to clear the air by saying, "My attention has been drawn to some news reports that the Ministry is planning a ban on tourism in tiger reserves. I would like to state categorically that there is no such proposal. But in 39 tiger reserves in the country, tourism will be strictly regulated,"

However the tourism sector players are still skeptical about the future. "A case is pending with the Supreme Court and I don't know what would be the outcome," said one of the resort owners from Kanha. However, the forest staff is going ahead with the preparations for opening national parks from October 1.

"At present we are going ahead with the preparations of opening the park on October 1, as no directive has been issued till date regarding tiger tourism from the apex court," informed one of the field directors from a national park.

Madhya Pradesh has nine national parks including; Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Sanjay, Pench, Satpura, Madhav Panna, Van Vihar, Panna and Fossil National Park and of these; Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench, Satpura, Panna and Sanjay National Parks have the status of tiger reserves.

MP cements place as top tiger destination

Madhya Pradesh has further cemented its place as top tiger tourism destination in India. Kanha and Pench National Park has helped tiger tourism in Madhya Pradesh. According to official figures 1,74,773 tourists visited Kanha National Park in 2010 an increase of 20,749 tourists. This includes 34,078 foreign tourists. Kanha managed to remain the most visited tiger reserve in Central India.

On the other hand Pench received 65,449 tourists including 5,421 foreign tourists in 2010. An increase 9,336 tourists and third most visited reserve in Central India.

Both these parks have managed to keep Madhya Pradesh as top tiger tourism destination in India. Kanha has remained on top thanks to early entrance in tiger tourism comparing to other national parks. Kanha also features in Incredible India marketing campaign that helps it grab attention abroad as well. Kanha is also very popular among tourists due to the facilities comparing to some other parks in India.