Resorts within five kilometers of tiger reserves will have to pay 10% cess even though tourists will not be allowed inside core critical tiger zones.
The environment ministry is all set to inform Supreme Court this week that tourism activity inside core would be prohibited as per new guidelines. This is being done to make core areas inviolate for tigers.
The new guidelines based on a set of recommendations of a committee of experts of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) says that tourism will be allowed in fringe areas of tiger reserves through special safaris. “These safaris will be regulated by state forest departments,”
Recommendations of NCTC
- Minimum inviolate areas of 800-1,000 square kms is must if India wants to sustain tiger population of about 1,500 tigers.
- The exhaustive guidelines also prescribe a minimum cess of 10%, called conservation cess, on the total turnover of the tourist resorts around 41 tiger reserves in India.
- The money to be generated will have to be deposited in the account of tiger foundation and used for tiger conservation and welfare of people in and around tiger reserves.
- State governments could charge higher than 10 % of cess, if they want, depending on the local needs.
- Monitoring of the use of funds generated though the cess at the reserve and the state government level.
- Restriction on construction of any kind around tiger reserves to protect the buffer zones
- Incentives will be provided to close existing tourism resorts in the buffer zone.
Comments
Post a Comment