THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India’s best known tiger conservationist Valmik Thapar has expressed disappointment at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s proposal to convert Sabarimala, right in the heart of Periyar Tiger Reserve, into a 365-day pilgrimage destination. “Daily pilgrimage can be a source of widespread disturbance for the wildlife of Periyar,” said the man who had been fighting for the survival of the tiger for the last three decades. Mr Thapar said that the Chief Minister must decide whether he wished to preserve the sanctity of Periyar Tiger Reserve or not.
If at all the proposal was persisted with, the conservationist, writer and documentary filmmaker hoped that the state had enough activists to prevent the tragedy. “The choice before the people and the Chief Minister is very clear,” he said. Mr Thapar hinted that preserving the forest in its pristine form, apart from its ecological value, was a spiritual need for the state. “I am sure the people of Kerala realise that keeping the sanctity of this forest is essential for all religious beliefs as these beliefs originated because of the forest. The forest therefore cannot be compromised,” he said.
The state Forest Department, too, is wary of the Chief Minister’s proposal. None of the senior officials were willing to comment. However, sources said on condition of anonymity that a study would be conducted to assess the impact of pilgrims on PTR. “There is not doubt that wildlife will be affected if there is human traffic throughout the year, but we need to get the right measure of the impact,” a top official said. The official refused to say whether it was to nip the proposal in the bud or to facilitate the Chief Minister's wish.
Right now, official figures show that there are 35 tigers within the 925 sq kms of PTR. The Ayyappa shrine is in the west side of PTR, which forms less than 25 percent of the reserve area. Forest officials say that tigers were caught on camera traps in the west side, too. “Tigers cross over to the left side during breeding season,” the official said.
