Chennai: Environmentalists and wildlife activists, gladdeÂned by the recent SupÂreme Court order, bannÂing tourism in core areas of tiger reserves, are now at loggerheads with the state forest department as the local tourist guides were violating the apex court’s guidelines and hotels in the buffer areas of Tamil Nadu forests were catering to thronging numbers of tourists.
“The situation is alarming in Masinagudi and Bokkapuram, where touÂrist influx has been relatively high this season. The reserve forests have been choking with touÂrists since Christmas and this will continue till New Year,” said Mr JayaÂchandran of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement which has sought local forest officials' intervention.
Matters have improved since a team was fanned out to curb tourism in the banned areas, with hotels and resorts under the Nilgiri south division being put under surveillance, sources said.
“The court has permitted eco tourism in buffer zones, but these guidelines are often violated. Guides often take jeep rides into the jungles; there were two recent cases of elephants killing tourists,” said an insider with the wildlife department, adding that controlling the local tourist guides and villagers during the festive season was becoming a tough task.
“Earlier, only tribals were engaged in wildlife tourism, but now it is a lucrative business where corporates and private individuals are vying for commercial gains while endangering wildlife,” said bird watcher N. Balaji, who frequents the Mudumalai Tiger ResÂerve. Efforts to contact chief wildlife warden Lakshmi Narayan for his comments proved futile.
