Nimesh Khakhariya | TNN | Aug 18, 2018, 04:00 ISTRajkot: The state government’s decision to nearly double the permits for
jungle trail in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary from October this year has not
gone down well with the forest officials and environment activists. They
not only questioned the rationale behind the government’s decision, but
also feared that it would disturb the fragile ecosystem of Gir forests,
which is the last abode of Asiatic lions in the world.
On Thursday,
the state government announced that the number of permits issued for
the jungle trail in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 1,412 sq km
area, would be increased to 150 per day from the current 90 per day.
Similarly, on festival days and Sundays, the number of permissions have
been increased from 150 to 180 per day.
The 25-30km jungle trail
includes a three-hour trip into the protected forest in a jeep with
maximum six persons. One permit is issued for one jeep. Everyday three
such trips are undertaken carrying 540 tourists on eight different
routes. With the new government decision, 900 tourists will be taken
into the sanctuary along 13 different routes.
According to
government officials, the rationale behind increasing the number of
permits is to curb illegal lion shows in forest area. However, the
forest officials and activists feel that increased human and vehicle
traffic in the sanctuary area not only disturb the fragile ecosystem,
but also the lions, who are dependent on the same ecosystem.
Assistant
conservator of forest (ACF), Sasan, Rajdeep Zala said, “There are touts
who cheat people under the pretext of lion sighting. The logic behind
the increase in permit is that we can accommodate more tourists so they
don’t fall prey to such touts. This will also reduce the harassment to
lions.”
A
senior forest officer, posted in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, on condition
of anonymity said the forest department was under pressure since long to
increase the permits in sanctuary area by the tourism department. “Gir
is not only about lions. Lions in this forest area can sustain because
of its ecology. Increase in movement of vehicles and human interference
disturbs the ecosystem and ultimately the lions. Increase in number of
permits should not have been allowed,” the forest official said.
Lion
expert Priyavrat Gadhvi said, “Gir is facing tremendous pressure in
terms of tourism, so we have to understand the viewpoint of forest
department. As you increase human interference, the problems also
increase. This has to be regulated so that excess human interference
doesn’t result into nuisance.”
Environment
activist Revtubha Raizada said, “We are facing problem of plastic waste
inside the sanctuary and human interference will only increase this. We
need to develop the sense of wildlife tourism.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/more-is-not-merrier-in-lions-abode/articleshow/65445638.cms
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