SC panel asks Centre to amend, withdraw guidelines allowing tiger safaris, zoos in wildlife habitats

The SC panel's observation came on an issue involving the establishment of a tiger safari in the buffer area of Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand

A Supreme Court-constituted panel has asked the Union Environment Ministry to amend or withdraw the guidelines related to setting up zoos and safaris within tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries to discourage the use of wildlife habitats for tourism activities which are non-site specific.

In its report submitted to the apex court last month, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) also said that approvals given for setting up zoos and safaris within tiger reserves and protected areas should be withdrawn forthwith.

Permission can only be given for activities involving rescue and rehabilitation of injured or incapacitated animals from the same landscape, it said.

The SC panel's observation came on an issue involving the establishment of a tiger safari in the buffer area of Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand.

According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines issued in 2012 and amended in 2016 and 2019, tiger safaris can be established in buffer and fringe areas of tiger reserves to "reduce pressure of tourism on core and critical tiger habitats and to foster awareness for eliciting public support".

Also, the ministry had said in June last year that the establishment of zoos over forest areas should not be considered a non-forest activity, doing away with the need for approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Only in exceptional cases, the fringes of the buffer zone of protected areas may be considered for the construction of a zoo on forest land, it had said.

"The mandate to locate tiger safaris within buffer and fringe areas of tiger reserves originates from the guidelines issued by the NTCA in 2012... Subsequently, the NTCA issued guidelines on establishment of tiger safaris within tiger reserves in the year 2016 and 2019. It is therefore imperative that the guidelines issued in 2012, 2016 and 2019 in this regard are amended/withdrawn," the CEC report read.