‘Tourist cars entering tiger reserves must be 500m apart’

The Center’s tiger panel has issued directions to all state chief wildlife wardens to ensure vehicles entering tiger reserves need to maintain a minimum distance

The Center’s tiger panel has issued directions to all state chief wildlife wardens to ensure vehicles entering tiger reserves need to maintain a minimum distance of 500m from each other, and to avoid crowding around wild animals.

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The move has drawn criticism from wildlife activists and environmentalists claiming that it was ‘unrealistic’ to implement and maintain the guidelines.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had laid down the NTCA (Normative Standards of Tourism Activities and Project Tiger) guidelines in 2012 that had calculated the maximum tourist vehicles (jeeps, canters etc.) permitted to enter any tiger reserve per day based on the average tourist footfall and carrying capacity for a reserve. This mandated vehicles to maintain a distance of 500m from each other.

“There are a lot of complaints where reserves are allowing more vehicles and tourists per day, much above the carrying capacity. The 2012 rules are not being followed and vehicles are crowding around animals in close proximity threatening both the animal and their own safety,” said Anup Nayak, member secretary, NTCA who issued the direction. “We have reiterated the 2012 guidelines to ensure increased protection of these reserves,” he added.

Tourism is important but the primary mandate is to protect the tiger and wellbeing of the animal’s habitat, said Dr Rajesh Gopal, secretary-general of the Global Tiger Forum and former NTCA member secretary who had drafted the guidelines in 2012. “Not more than 10 tiger reserves in India witness high tourist footfall. While spotting of tigers is a major attraction, the movement of these vehicles comes with issues like dust, noise and crowding around a single or group of animals. The direction issued in 2012 was based on past records and data collated by us. We must realise that it is an important thing and needs to be monitored dispassionately,” he said.

Last year, a proposal by the Madhya Pradesh forest department to increase tourism activities at tiger reserves, including an upsurge of tourist vehicles, was rejected by NTCA. Major tiger reserves in the country witness 1 to 1.5 lakh visitors annually, according to NTCA.

Guidelines issued in 2010 by NTCA under Project Tiger, using Kanha Tiger Reserve as an example, highlighted the effective permissible carrying capacity of large tiger reserves should not exceed more than 40 vehicles per day and 55 vehicles during peak season. “This may vary across tiger reserves depending on area, length, condition of roads and other factors,” said Nayak.

Belinda Wright, wildlife conservationist and executive director, Wildlife Protection Society of India said, “While NTCA must have thought carefully on this decision, having a distance of 500m between 40 vehicles entering a park a day maybe a problem as it will take hours for the vehicles to complete their journey.”

“Since NTCA and forest departments failed to manage rowdy tourists, boorish guides and drivers, remaining wildlife tourists, dedicated drivers and guides are being punished,” said Sarita Subramaniam, activist.

Another expert in the field requesting anonymity said, “It is an impractical decision. The forest has winding roads, lesser visibility at times, and not much coordination between vehicles. So there is no clarity on how the guideline will be maintained.”

Maharashtra forest department said it was an important decision. “Coming too close to wild animals is potential danger. There is a need to reiterate this under high tourism footfall in some areas. For this, caution has to be exercised. The notification has been passed on to all field directors.”