“The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.” …
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. And his above words I find so fitting for me, this sharing which is again about wildlife (not about tadoba though) but from a different window. Frankly Humboldt’s quote took me a while to understand at first as how you can use the term “worldview” saying those who have not viewed the world! Well, here is where my sharing comes in picture as it's about the Hon Supreme Court’s (which defines our worldview) view about wildlife tourism! Recently a row is going on about the Supreme Court which on its own took cognizance of irregularities in wildlife conservation in Uttarakhand as Corbett tiger park & for a while stopped tourism activities in some part of that forest! At the same time Hon SC made some observations as well seek clarifications about the wildlife tourism at large in the country, which is a good part but keeping all due respect for Hon SC, wildlife is not something which you can bind in some rules & laws, its nature after all, we can just monitor it in best possible way than trying to define it or control it, is what I feel!
Unfortunately, of-late wildlife tourism has been in news a lot often for wrong reasons & to the extent whereas country’s apex judicial body i.e. Hon. Supreme Court has started thinking wildlife is being governed in the wrong way & the first got axed is, wildlife tourism, is a sad fact. A decade back first salvo was fired curbing the area of tourism in core parts of jungle which was a big blow for tourism reducing numbers of tourists in the national parks making wildlife tourism very costly on one hand & unaffordable to most of the countrymen on other hand at a time! Hon Court & many so called self-proclaimed environmentalists will say, that’s worth the price for wildlife conservation but this is where the wrong worldview comes in picture, is my reason for sharing! As already, operating wildlife tourism is a costly affair as most of the locations are at remote places & right from basic needs like drinking water & vegetables to make accommodation facilities available in good condition for the tourists, everything is a hardship! As well, here the tourists come only for wildlife & when the number of safaris itself got reduced, so did the tourists & has it helped wildlife actually, have we studied this aspect? Rather take example of Tadoba at present most sought of wildlife destination here the areas where tourism is allowed all the tigresses are with cubs, numbers of tigers increasing every year so much that we need more space for the tigers, means tourists or tourism in controlled way is a boon for the tigers & wildlife at large, right?
At the same time wildlife tourism definitely is different from regular fun & entertainment tourism (E.g. Goa) where booze & music are the two inherent aspects of it! If we avoid these two & rather make tourists more focused on nature & our responsibility towards its conservation then that’s the only hope for wildlife, Hon SC please, please consider this aspect & make guidelines for wildlife tourism accordingly, is a humble request! Recently I came across few pointers or say objection via print news media about the aspects/ issues which Hon SC is concerned on the wildlife tourism front, so I thought of mentioning them & my view on it as a common wild lifer as well as a civil engineer, hope this will be of some use for Hon SC, if it reaches to them!
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The question as to whether Tiger Safaris shall be
permitted in the buffer area or fringe area…
I am of firm opinion to permit safaris in not just buffer or fringe areas but in the core & every part of forest protected or unprotected as considering the resources (funds/manpower) govt (read as revenue/ forest depts) is incapable to save the forests & unless the people around these forests are able to do it on their own then only, we will be able to save the forests! At the same time tourists in a controlled manner are like watch dogs of these habitats making all ill elements at bay, this is an added advantage of wildlife tourism which we call safaris!
If Wildlife Safaris can be permitted, then what
should be the guidelines for establishing such
Safaris?
This is the crux of wildlife tourism actually, as knowing we the Indians & our attitude in public places we have to be very careful & strict in defining safaris in any type of the forest! Most important is make a separate body for wildlife tourism as this may seem absurd thought yet at present scene is, forest dept is overloaded with their own work of patrolling forests as well areas outside of the forests because maximum man animal conflicts happen outside protected forests is a fact & we need to focus on them, while to conduct & monitor wildlife safaris is different job of a professional team with that kind of expertise! Guidelines should be in tune with the purpose we have aiming for & that is conservation of wildlife & make it grow! Right number of vehicles to routes to accompanying of trained guides & vehicle drivers, their constant training & supervising these activities to making rest rooms arrangement type things, type of vehicles & stoppages in such safaris, a manual must be made by a centralize committee with experts in it, including tourism professionals, civil engg environmentalist & forest officers in it! And do it fast. The tourists can enjoy wildlife without disturbing it & losing their comfort, is what will make the safari sustainable for all! At present no proper, safe restrooms in the safari route is a big hurdle for many tourists about which forest dept doesn’t do anything as they think it’s a nuisance for them or added work but its big need of any tourism, is what they forget because forest dept is not formed for tourism!
(iii) While considering the Wildlife tourism
the approach must be of ecocentrism and
not of anthropocentrism;
… agreed but for that we must first understand what eco-tourism is, & why we are doing it, right? The focus must be wildlife conservation & not going by age-old theories of conservation should be given up & accommodate what is to be needed actually!
How we can ensure that the least amount of
environmental damage is caused;
For this we need a constant awareness program & not just making stringent rules. This is why we need an expert & dedicated system/ entity/ body/ department which will look after controlling every eco-tourism in the right way, which is not present anywhere at present.
About Zoo & rescue centres around project tigers:
… rescue centres & zoo type establishments can be done in fringe areas i.e. outside of buffers, along with awareness activity centres.
Hon SC will
always be at liberty to take such other
factors into consideration as it deems fit...
… this is the problem, there must not be any ambiguity in making wildlife tourism policies yet they should be ever evolving as the situation & conditions are going to vary from place to place depending upon geographic as well social conditions & accessibility or say closeness to urban population at respective place. As well the animals, their habitats will be different & so will the needs of the tourists & locals will be different. For e.g. in Sundarbans habitat is different & spread is too big than forests like Umred Khrandhala , we have to consider these diversities while making policy. At places like Pench which is very close to Nagpur, people visit just for fun also & we should entertain them as they spend money here which is used for wildlife conservation but the fun must not become the botheration for the wildlife, that has to be checked & controlled!
The type of activities that should be permitted and
prohibited in the buffer zone and fringe areas of
the Tiger Reserve. While doing so, if tourism is to
to be promoted, it must be eco-tourism. The type
of construction that should be permissible in such
resorts would be in tune with the natural
environment…
I think the more we will be able to get common people in the forest the more they will learn how to conserve wildlife! The accommodation as well structures must be in tune with wildlife safaris (quantity) as well extreme fringe areas can be used for activities of leisure & awareness. We can permit resorts, awareness centres & nature living experience giving activities in buffer & fringe but make a manual for design of such structure & the same body which I suggest of safaris will control this development & their daily operation for not violating the basic purposes! Even destination wedding types activities resorts too, we can think with special subsidies in taxation for income here but at ten km away from any gate & strict control of sound & alcohol! More & more people must visit forests as then only people around forests can survive with the help of forests! Even nature training centres /schools/education centres can be thought of in fringe areas beyond buffers.
The number and type of resorts that should be
permitted within the proximity of the
protected areas. What restriction to be imposed
on such resorts so that they are managed in tune
with the object of protecting and maintaining the
ecosystem rather than causing obstruction in the
same.
The resorts rooms design must be in tune with nature as it will vary depending upon land conditions in the respective place, so we should study most habitats & keep many options of designs ready & observe the jobs in such resorts are being preferably given to locals as well some part of income of these resorts must go to wildlife conservation, make different tax system instead of GST & income tax for wildlife tourism! As it's difficult to operate in remote areas any service industry & margins are poor or else wildlife tourism remains only for rich people, which should not happen, even poor people can afford to go to the forests, which is not happening at present!
As to within how much areas from the boundary
of the protected forest there should be restriction:
… few accommodations say 10% of safaris numbers can be inside the core also, while 80% must be within buffer & rest with no restriction on numbers outside of buffer i.e. area beyond buffers!
About noise level and what should be those
permissible noise levels:
… No loudspeakers or alcohol sale in core & in buffer at any cost as well control light pollution also by making right norms & forming a governing body! In fringe areas we can allow recreational activities yet light & sound pollution must be monitored.
The measures that are required to be taken for
effective management and protection of Tiger
Reserves which shall be applicable on a Pan India
Basis:
…First understand the concept of tiger conservation which is not happening with due respect even at Hon. Supreme Court level! Reality is, at present the core zones of Project Tiger forests have become Open Zoo, when the tiger can roam freely with tourists confined to respective vehicles. Every tiger has its own territory & when in core the tiger numbers increase as reproduction is natural process then these new tigers seek support of buffer parts for making their territory & when even buffers get full, then these tigers move in to the human settlements in fringe area around project tiger & this is major lacuna of project tiger! This basic fact either we are neglecting or ignoring deliberately! We must focus on making people to live with the tigers as we can’t create new forests for the new tigers & for making this happen wildlife tourism is the only option or else we will end up with fixed numbers of tigers like we have in the zoo as new tigers keeps dying because of fighting other tigers for space or with conflict with humans outside of project tiger’s protected part! Example is, in 2023 if numbers of tigers have increased then we have lost nearly 200 plus tigers also & these are not natural deaths & 200 is a very big figure when we have only 4000 plus tigers in the entire country! This can be achieved by expanding wildlife tourism as this is not about just tigers but many endangered wildlife species too!
(viii) The steps to be taken for scrupulously
implementing such recommendations.
First form a body for wildlife tourism which will be beyond red-tapism. Appoint only real experts professionals on it. Be ready to make bold changes & don’t get bound by age old environmentally blind vision, I too am an environmental engg & environmental science is always evolving! Get out of taboo of “more tourists means, more disturbance for tigers & wildlife,” as had it been so then with thirty gypsies together Maya tigress & Choti tara in Tadoba & Collerwali tigress in Pench wouldn’t have given birth of fifty plus litters combinedly & numbers of tigers in buffers of tdaoba wouldn’t have grown constantly while they live among near one lakh human beings here! Rather thousands of wild animals get killed in road accidents out of protected forests only because we don’t love & care for wildlife, this will stop only when each of us has seen what wonderful gift wildlife is to us & we only are going to protect it!
If we keep sufficient distance from tigers then they are least bothered with numbers of tourists is a fact we have seen, so make a policy which will make possible as many people to visit our forests & start accommodating wildlife as their part of life, is the only hope for wildlife now with 150 crores plus humans sharing land with them!
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Interestingly while I was writing this piece newspapers where full of headlines of State Govt’s decision of regularising all illegal construction in urban areas by paying nominal fine (read as nil), Hon SC, a humble request the sensitivity you show for irregularities in the project tiger areas & take cognizance on your own, please give some attention to these major irregularities in Urban Forests (read as towns & cities) also, as even with entity named MAHARERA, what’s use if the govt itself is regularising illegal building, why one should build a legal building then!
Hon SC Sir, you are supposed to be with vision even when blindfolded & wildlife tourism needs your that vision where we must be able to reach the common destination which is, coexistence of wild animals & humans & for that the activity must be rightly controlled, is the only way; & we have many wise & fair brains which can frame the norms for it, only if you take the lead it is possible, will be happy for any assistance on this front, adios with this request for the future of wildlife!
Sanjay Deshpande, Hemangi Vartak & team Jungle Belles.
Sanjeevani Dev.
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http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-post.html
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This is such a good read, it gives a full insight of the structure, setting, and solution of a smooth process in a sanctuary with the importance and value of wildlife conservation to the common people like me who have never been to any wildlife sanctuary, all the core areas are well explained by Sanjay Sir, hope this article would reach out and inspire more people🙏🏻😊
ReplyDeleteDear Diya, thanks a lot for going through this piece & your kind words! That's our target, more & more people should be aware about wildlife & visit such places..thanks again :)
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