States have been granted six months to prepare a plan that allows tourism to thrive, without compromising on conservation efforts. A maximum of 20 per cent of core tiger habitats will be open to visitors for regulated, low-impact tourism.
India is home to more than half the world's tiger population and the ban had been issued to protect tiger habitats from human disturbances. Ironically, the Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Board for Wildlife has himself, however, asked for dilution of environmental laws to facilitate minerals to be mined in forest areas and for commercial projects to be located within touching distance of tiger reserves. Conservationists are now hoping that by working to provide biodiversity-based livelihoods to people living around wildlife areas, a measure of responsible tourism might help reverse the poor policy initiatives being foisted on natural India by a confused Indian government, whose ministries are often working at odds with each other.
Link to the published article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/18/india-lifts-ban-tiger-tourism
Source: Sanctuary Asia.
