The forest department has started a mega survey in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) using Global Positioning System (GPS) to earmark areas in which eco tourism would be permissible.
A committee comprising senior forest officials and ATR Foundation members has been constituted to supervise the survey, which would primarily focus on key tourism centres in the reserve like Valparai, Topslip and Udumalpet.
The survey is being undertaken in the backdrop of recent Supreme Court order permitting tourism in 20 per cent of the core areas of Tiger reserves in compliance with the notification on tiger conservation issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) during October last week.
Once the survey is over, the areas found feasible for eco tourism would be opened for visitors. No tourism activity has been undertaken in ATR since the Supreme Court banned entry of visitors in the tiger reserves, which have not segregated core and buffer zones.
ATR field director, Rajeev Sreevastava said survey would be completed by November end and then the decision on allowing visitors would be taken.
However, officials are hopeful that the court's permission to allow tourism in 20 per cent of the core areas would help relive the elephant camp at Topslip apart from ensuring movement of vehicles to adjacent Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala.
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