Adhering to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) directives, there will be no monsoon tourism in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) from this season.
As per a report in TOI, while belatedly approving the Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP) of TATR on April 3, NTCA had put set of conditions including vehicle carrying capacity and stopping tourism in the park during monsoon.
A TCP is the road map for tiger reserves which ensures that forestry operations of regular forest divisions and those adjoining reserves are not incompatible with the needs of tiger conservation.
Tadoba's TCP was not being approved for last few years by the NTCA as TATR did not follow mandatory carrying capacity and monsoon tourism diktat despite NTCA directives, which were issued based on Supreme Court ruling.
According to sources, four days ago, GP Garad, chief conservator of forest (CCF) & field director of TATR, sent a proposal to state's principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) for wildlife AK Mishra recommending stopping monsoon tourism as asked by NTCA.
TATR has also stopped online bookings for tourists from July 1, when all parks in the country are closed for tourists. Earlier, a lot of ambiguity used to be maintained by allowing online bookings to take place and then allow park to remain open under the garb that bookings have already been done.
Talking to TOI, Mishra confirmed that he has received the proposal from TATR field director four days ago. "I'm talking to my colleagues and discussing the proposal. We will take a final decision in 3-4 days, though I'm not inclined to keep the park open."
However, on the decision to keep Pench open, PCCF Mishra said, "In case of Pench, there is no such condition while approving the TCP. As it is, irrigation staff enters Pench through the 20km long tar road. We will also take into consideration whether neighbouring MP Pench allows monsoon tourism or not."
Tadoba is the only park in the country where tourists are allowed into tiger reserves during monsoon due to 20km tar road. Slowly, Pench followed suit, followed by Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary.
Earlier, the basic idea behind allowing partial tourism in Tadoba was that a ST bus already operates between Chimur and Chandrapur through Tadoba for villagers. However, in last few years, in case of Tadoba, tourists were allowed from all gates, allegedly under pressure from resorts lobby.