The ban the Supreme Court has imposed on tourism activities in the core zones of all the tiger reserves in the country is a pointer to the manner in which Project Tiger is implemented. The apex court was constrained to take this extreme step when state governments, barring a few, failed to notify the core zones to prevent tourism activities there. It was even forced to impose costs on some states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for not complying with its directions. If they do not fall in line within three weeks, the state governments will have to face contempt of court proceedings.
The court action follows reports that unbridled tourism activities in the core zones — the area between forests and human habitation — have adversely affected tiger conservation. After all, Project Tiger, started in 1973, is one of the most ambitious animal conservation programmes in the world. Hundreds of crores of rupees have been spent on tiger reserves, particularly in moving lakhs of villagers away from tiger habitats. Yet, there is no certainty whether the project has been a success or not, thanks to the fanciful claims the authorities concerned have been making. Some believe that even the tiger census figures are all cooked up.
It is believed that the tiger population in the country in the early 20th century was about one lakh. Today, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the number of tigers in India is no more than 1,700. Nobody questions the fact that without conservation efforts, the animal will become extinct. How sincere the state authorities are in implementing Project Tiger is borne out by the compulsions that have forced the apex court to intervene. Tiger is not only the national animal, it is also the strongest and the most graceful species in the animal kingdom. The Centre has a responsibility to ensure that the states sincerely implement the project. There is also a strong case for ordering a social audit of Project Tiger.
