Corbettrsquos major zones open tourists disappointed as no night stay this season

  • | Thursday | 15th November, 2018

The guide who had accompanied him, said, “The uncertainty lurking over night stay is hurting everyone a lot. Only real and responsible wildlifers opt for night stay, as there is no electricity,in most areas and rooms have only basic facilities. The CTR administration had thereafter stopped night stay in all zones of the parkMany tourists who had come to the reserve were unaware of the restrictions that had been put on night stay in the reserve. Nainital: With five prominent zones of the Corbett Tiger Reserve -- Bijrani, Dhela, Durga Devi, Gairal and Jhirna -- opening for tourists on Thursday, visitors were disappointed as only day safaris were being permitted in these zones. A tourist who travelled from Canada specifically to visit the reserve, told TOI that he was “bitterly disappointed” at the restrictions.

Nainital: With five prominent zones of the Corbett Tiger Reserve -- Bijrani, Dhela, Durga Devi, Gairal and Jhirna -- opening for tourists on Thursday, visitors were disappointed as only day safaris were being permitted in these zones. In Dhikala, another popular zone, even day safaris were not allowed.The Uttarakhand high court (HC) had on September 4 prohibited entry of commercial vehicles in Dhikala and asked the government to file a supplementary affidavit as to why tourists were permitted to stay overnight in forests. The CTR administration had thereafter stopped night stay in all zones of the parkMany tourists who had come to the reserve were unaware of the restrictions that had been put on night stay in the reserve. A tourist who travelled from Canada specifically to visit the reserve, told TOI that he was “bitterly disappointed” at the restrictions. He also posted a video on Facebook. talking about his disappointment. The guide who had accompanied him, said, “The uncertainty lurking over night stay is hurting everyone a lot. Tourists are leaving with a bad impression which is not good for us.”Justifying the restrictions, director of the reserve, Rahul (who uses only his first name), said that “the matter pertaining to night stay is still in court which is why, night stay is not being allowed in any of the zones.” “We are working on presenting our case and will proceed as per the directions of the court,” he added.Meanwhile, wildlife enthusiasts alleged that the park administration had “jumped the gun by prohibiting night stay all across the reserve.” Mumbai-based Puneet Sudesh Sachdeva, who visits the reserve at least 5-6 times a year, said, “There is no convincing reason for banning night stay at Corbett. I have been going there for almost a decade and the primary reason I go is because we get to stay inside. Only real and responsible wildlifers opt for night stay, as there is no electricity,in most areas and rooms have only basic facilities. Besides, we as tourists also do patrolling work for the department.”Echoing similar sentiments, AG Ansari, a conservationist, said, "If we see the tiger census, CTR has only shown an increase with night stay continuing. So what justifies shutting of night stays which have been instrumental in converting many who come and stay in this beautiful forest and fall in love with forests and wildlife forever? They end up being not just tourists but protectors for forests and wildlife."Pariva Pranati, another tourist who felt disappointed by the move, said, “ Corbett Tiger Reserve is part of the natural heritage of the country and citizens should be allowed to experience it properly. Also, by imposing restrictions, thousands of people associated with the tourism business in the area will loose their livelihood.”Groups and associations related to tourism in the area such as gypsy operators, hoteliers and tour guides had convened a meeting on Wednesday to decide on a proposed strike against the move but decided to postpone it as the administration assured them that they will “ensure that their concerns are represented in the court properly.”

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