Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court on Thursday sought explanation from the state government as to why diesel vehicles were allowed to operate in Ranthambore National Park (RNP) despite court orders banning them.
KALOMAJRA( PATIALA): For the past year and a half, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner Y S Matta is doing organic farming on his 30 acres of land in Kalomajra village. While he is successfully cultivating wheat and paddy, he also has plans to grow vegetables and flowers in a similar manner.
Managing Director (MD) of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) Santanu Thakur, during his recent visit to Sivasagar, stated that the Government of India had sanctioned an amount of Rs.65 lakh
The Haryana Minister for Forests and Tourism, Ms Kiran Chaudhary, said her ministry received a sanction for a Rs 30-crore project from the Centre which aimed at developing tourist spots in and around
Experts Say Kasturirangan Report Does Not Ban Construction, Cultivation, Tourism And Infrastructure Development In Villages In ESA Viju B Chief minister Oommen Chandy may have succumbed to political pressure from UDF allies, quarry owners and church authorities, who want a drastic reduction in the number of villages categorized as Ecological Sensitive Area (ESA) as per the Kasturirangan committee report.
<p> KHARSANG: The growing demand for a motorable suspension bridge over the Noa-Dehing River connecting Miao with Pisi in Changlang district has at last been fulfilled. At least for the moment. Senior leader of the region, Minister for Power, Parliamentary Affairs, Environment & Forest Setong Sena, during a public meeting at Kharsang on August 4, made the commitment to construct a bridge at the said point under TFC within the current financial year.</p>
Generating funds and guaranteed sightings of exotic fauna are part of the misguided strategies of eco-tourism. Some 12 jeeps had converged at a point in the forest. In all there were about 50 people in them. They chattered and whispered in excitement, waiting for the tiger to emerge from where it was hiding. Finally it did, as it darted across the open space into the safe covers of the bushes and disappeared, almost like a ghost. Leaving behind the people in various levels of nirvana! Reporting on the "sightings' back at the resort, everyone was pleased. The manager, the guides and the tourists. The visit had been worth it, finally. But, a thought remained: what could be the thoughts of the tiger, that had been almost "ambushed' (in the words of a forest officer)? Opinions vary. On whether eco-tourism is a benevolent thing or can lead to more damage of our already fragile forests and wildlife. True eco-tourism is one in which the tourist takes back some lessons, and leaves behind nothing, no footprints. He/she learns to respect nature and the laws that operate in its pristine world. But, alarmingly what is emerging is nothing like that. The operators are there for money. The tourists come for excitement. With eco-tourism the mantra, it is time for a kill. The rates speak. All comforts are offered in the wilderness. And guarantees of a "tiger encounter' even offered in some places. The tourist can be heard grumbling and even asking back for money if a tiger or elephant is not sighted. Who cares about the squirrels or birds? And god forbid a tiger or elephant that crosses path with such tourists. Flashlights pop all around as cameras zoom in. With a good sighting, the guides and drivers can be coaxed into inching closer than allowed. Pleasing their customer comes before forest rules. Some even know how to annoy an elephant and cause a mock charge. For a good digital shot. They cannot be blamed. And now, the tourism department plans to take on more areas for eco-tourism. It would have been a good idea if again "development' and revenue were not the key-words, but conservation and education. The words used clearly show that it is about "tapping unused potential'. What a pity. Not only in Karnataka, but everywhere in the country, eco-tourism is an uncontrolled phenomenon with poor planning and short-term vision of generating money. In the national parks of Madhya Pradesh, jeeps queue up in a long line and let in a few at a time. After all, one gets guarantees of sightings here! But the other side of this is the well-known fact that tigers in Kanha and Ranthambore had got so used to human presence that they became sitting ducks for poachers! However, some experts believe eco-tourism can check poaching. "Papa' Wakefield, the brand ambassador of Jungle Lodges Resorts is one who is very sure that poaching is at its maximum when the "jungles are closed to tourists in the monsoons'. Annoyed with the PCCF's direction to have the parks closed for a "breeding season in July', Wakefield does agree that there is need to control eco-tourism. In the case of Kabini, he points to how there are so many operators in the area and more coming, that there are times when 21 vehicles used to be in the jungles at the same time. Now, with the intervention of the PCCF, this has been brought down to 12. What he, and others concerned about the alarming growth of eco-tourism, say is, "while you cannot stop anyone from buying land around jungles, you can stop their entry into the forests. Limited entry is required to disturb the animals the least'. The other area that needs to be discussed is how revenue generated from these resorts can be ploughed back into the forests, whether it be for conservation or paying pending salaries of forest staff. This revenue can amount to more than Rs 2 lakh from one resort alone. In states like MP, this money is being used for forest department needs, but not in Karnataka. Finally, a true nature lover will argue that eco-tourism can happen only if the tourists are willing to rough it out, to walk in the jungle rather than ride through it, to look around and absorb the flora and fauna, to learn lessons of interdependence. It's all there if one keeps eyes and ears open. The langur's alarm call that alerts all the other denizens of a predator, the parasite tree that grows on to the host tree, the life sustained by elephant dung, etc. That is how true eco-tourism should ideally be promoted. Even otherwise, it is necessary to incorporate education into the eco-tourism as being touted. With a mere four per cent protected area in the country, even a few enlightened persons can make a difference.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urged tighter controls on cruise ships and tourists in Antarctica to prevent further environmental damage to the fragile region. Addressing an international meeting on both the Antarctic and the Arctic, Clinton said as tourism increases to Antarctica there must be more regulations governing that travel.
Faridabad: Match held to highlight govt apathy towards the lake threatened by rampant mining, colonisation A Cricket match on the dry bed of the Badkhal Lake was stalled by angry authorities of the Haryana Government and local political leaders.
The need to tap domestic healthcare tourism potential, even while attracting patients-tourists from abroad, was stressed by professionals here. At a business interactive meeting on healthcare
Tourism in Haryana is set to get a boost with the creation of a Rs 30-crore tourist circuit of Panipat, Kurukshetra and Pinjore under a centrally-sponsored scheme. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder
Darjeeling s Tiger Hill whines under ecological pressure
TAKING bilateral relations a step further, India and Jordan signed four MoUs. They include the promotion and protection of investment, cooperation in the field of agriculture, tourism and cultural
Forest Minister Benoy Viswom inaugurating the Silent Valley-Siruvani eco-tourism scheme at a function held at Mukkali in Attappadi on Tuesday. PALAKKAD: The 25th anniversary of the declaration of the Silent Valley as a national park will be observed on an international scale throughout the State in November this year, said Forest Minister Benoy Viswom.
C. Jaishankar Eyesore: Flies feeding on waste in front of an eatery near the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. RAMANATHAPURAM: The fly menace, which has reached an unprecedented level, has caused a negative impact on arrival of tourists at Rameswaram, one of the major pilgrim centres in the State.
The State Government plans to hold road shows soon in West Asia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives to promote Kerala as a medical tourism destination. The State plans to hold such promotional activities in
Infrastructure development and finance company Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) has entered into a partnership with the Andhra Pradesh government for development of tourism
Kerala tourism has started work on a project to set up a handloom village at Balaramapuram near Thiruvananthapuram. The Project, which looks to transform Vellikkulam village in Balaramapuram into
Before the baby Noor cheer wears out and Karnataka's medical tourism sector stops just short of promised sunrise, the State is chalking out plans to give the sector a new push. Before the baby Noor
with the conclusion of national winter games in February, Jammu and Kashmir's (j&k) winter hotspot Gulmarg is now gearing up to host the Commonwealth Winter Games in 2010. But even as the state
