By TNN | 4 Apr, 2015, 03.11AM IST
AHMEDABAD: People making plans to go lion spotting in Gir sanctuary this
summer vacation should prepare to face a severe shortage of rooms and
inflated tariffs. The majority of hospitality units will be shut
following the Gujarat high court crackdown on illegal hotels and
farmhouses in and around the sanctuary.
The HC ordered action
against the illegal encroachments after it took suo motu cognizance of
an anonymous letter complaining that forest management in Gir has become
subordinate to the tourism industry. The government immediately
identified 128 such 'encroachers', who run hospitality units in the
buffer zone around sanctuary across three districts — Junagadh, Amreli
and Gir-Somnath. Of them, the authorities first targeted farmhouses and
72 such places have been sealed.
Out these 72, the owners of 50
farmhouses have moved the HC and complained that the sealing took place
indiscriminately. "Officials left only a few rooms open in small
farmhouses for use by families living on the farm. We also applied for
permission to rent space to tourists under the state's homestay policy,
but no response has come so far," said one farmhouse owner and a
litigants in the high court, Devayat Vadher.
According to
Vadher, authorities sealed nearly 70% of rooms in small farmhouses. He
said that most tourists are from the middle class and can not afford
expensive hotels, and hence prefer to stay in small places.
The
problems won't affect economy class tourists, but more affluent
visitors may be affected. The HC has ordered for the formation of a
committee for each district to check on luxury hotels. There are 34 big
hotels around the sanctuary with permission to operate 390 rooms all put
together. The committee is tasked to seal the remaining rooms and
disconnect power supply to them.
The possible shortage of rooms
for tourists may lead to locals coming up with alternative
arrangements. "Local farmers may put up tents for tourists as they did
last Diwali," said a senior forest official.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/sealing-drive-near-gir-to-hit-tourists/articleshow/46801174.cms
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