Rajaji Tiger Reserve reopened for tourists

| | Haridwar
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Rajaji Tiger Reserve reopened for tourists

Friday, 16 November 2018 | PNS | Haridwar

Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve which was closed in June was reopened for winter season on Wednesday by its field director Sanatan Sonkar in Chilla range along with other forest officials. The park witnessed good footfall on the first day of opening of the park but restricted number of Gypsy jeeps for safari kept many tourists waiting.

The principal chief conservator of forests Monish Mullick and Rajaji director Sanatan Sonkar cut the ribbon and declared the park open. It will remain opened for the next seven months.

This tourist season only 20 vehicles will be allowed for jungle safari in Chilla range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve following the High Court directions. To improve the facilities in the park, dustbins shall be installed in the safari vehicles. This is being done for the first time to stop littering in the park area.

Notably private vehicles were banned for jungle safari by the forest department last year and the number of authorised vehicles has also been decreased following court orders in August this year. The High Court had restricted the number of Gypsy jeeps hired by tourists in both Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves.

Speaking to The Pioneer, the Chilla range wildlife warden Ajay Sharma said, “In contrast to earlier system wherein 40 jeeps were allowed daily for jungle safari, this year it is 20 jeeps. A single jeep has occupancy of seven tourists.”

Penalisation system shall be enforced for those found littering and violating the rules. However this stringent system has brought displeasure to some wildlife lovers. Former honourary wildlife warden of Rajaji, Rajiv Mehta said, “The notification of Rajaji National Park as the second tiger reserve after Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand in 2015 had come as a major boost to the tourism sector but by putting restrictions on the number of safaris to be carried out in a day, the park authorities are casting a negative impact. More wildlife tourism and movement of tourists actually keeps wildlife protected from poachers. Future generations need to be shown the wilderness, the habitats of animals and made more aware towards conservation of these forests but checking on their entry is reducing their involvement.”

Instead of increasing their night patrol activities, park authorities are checking the inflow of tourists. “This Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve has become worse than even a forest division. Good tourism must be promoted,” added Mehta.

On the issue of number of vehicles to be allowed, Wildlife Institute of India should be consulted as to how many vehicles must be allowed in a wildlife zone, he further opined.

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