Withdraw guidelines allowing tiger safaris: SC panel

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court-constituted panel has asked the Union Environment Ministry to amend or withdraw guidelines related to setting up zoos and safaris within tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries to discourage the use of wildlife habitats for tourism activities which are non-site specific.

In its report submitted to the apex court last month, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) said approvals given for setting up zoos and safaris within tiger reserves and protected areas should be withdrawn forthwith. It said tiger safaris being “non-site specific” should also be discouraged within forest areas since the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 discourage diversion of forest land for non-site specific activities under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The SC panel’s observation came on an issue involving the establishment of a tiger safari in the buffer area of Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand.

According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines issued in 2012 and amended in 2016 and 2019, tiger safaris can be established in buffer and fringe areas of tiger reserves to “reduce pressure of tourism on core and critical tiger habitats and to foster awareness for eliciting public support”.

Also, the ministry had said in June last year that the establishment of zoos on forest areas should not be considered a non-forest activity, doing away with the need for approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Only in exceptional cases, the fringes of the buffer zone of protected areas may be considered for the construction of a zoo on forest land, it had said.

The panel said the NTCA should make it mandatory that tiger safaris be established “only outside the notified tiger reserves and the natural habitat of tigers”.