Curse of the horn

Letters - March 31, 2013

Bigger is better

It’s not just about a good holiday

The devil is in the detail. When land is held in public trust, the question of who constitutes the public needs clarity. In India’s protected areas this question has become pertinent in light of the Supreme Court’s interim decision on tourism. This order requires states to declare buffer zones for tiger reserves. Tourism within the core of the reserves without notified buffer zones has been banned.

Supreme Court gives Centre time till September 27 to review tiger tourism guidelines

The Supreme Court has given the Centre four more weeks to reconsider its guidelines on tourism in and around tiger reserves. It has also asked the government to constitute an expert panel to review the guidelines that called for phasing out tourism from core tiger habitats and imposing a 10 per cent conservation cess on hotels and resorts.

‘States violating wildlife law in rush to notify buffer zones’

On April 27, when the Supreme Court of India ordered all states to notify buffer zones around tiger reserves under their jurisdiction within three months, many hailed it as a boost for tiger conservation. Little did they foresee that the order would lead to the violation of the very law under which buffer areas are to be notified.

Making slow headway

On April 3, the Supreme Court ordered states to declare buffer zones around their tiger reserves. A buffer zone is an area which is adjacent to the core area of a tiger reserve and is aimed at promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife. The limits of these areas are determined using scientific criteria and are set in consultation with the gram sabha and an expert committee.

Baigas in exile

Environment ministry favours tiger safari in buffer zones

Notwithstanding the risk tourism might cause to the big cat, the Centre is planning to promote tiger safari in the buffer zones of the tiger reserves. The plan comes at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a matter on whether tourism should be banned in the critical tiger habitats of the country.

Tigers buffered

Once poachers now guards

A forest guard sets out on his nightly patrol in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (ptr) in Kerala's Idukki district with the most unlikely companion: a former smuggler of vayana, the bark of the cinnamon tree. The two appear to get along well especially that now both are on the same side of the law. After a while, the ex-poacher suddenly stops and motions to his senior colleague. They can hear the almost inaudible thud of an axe.