The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : More resorts in forests ruled out

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Thursday, Feb 28, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

More resorts in forests ruled out

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Mushrooming resorts and swarming visitors have brought pressure on a large chunk of protected forests in Karnataka. Alarmed by the increasing number of resorts coming up around the fragile protected areas, the Forest Department has opposed permission to new resorts around the protected forests.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A.K. Verma told presspersons here on Tuesday that the department felt the need to cap the number of resorts around the protected areas.

At present, the Forest Department had no control over restriction of resorts coming up on revenue land. “We are opposing any new resorts that are coming up for the purpose of wildlife tourism around the protected areas,” he said.

Terming the eco-tourism activity as a “double-edged sword”, he said: “We might talk of responsible tourism, but in practice it might not take place.”

Under pressure

Meanwhile, a top Forest Department official said that they were under pressure to declare parts of N. Begur range in Bandipur National Park, abutting the backwaters of the Kabini Reservoir, as a tourism zone.

N. Begur has become important since the other three tourism zones of Bandipur, Nagarahole and Sunkadakatte in Bandipur-Nagarahole National Parks have almost reached their carrying capacity. It is learnt that there are at least 10 resorts operating in the area already, while many more are being planned.

The backwaters, one of the hotspots for sighting wild animals, including tigers, elephants, leopards and sloth bear, is in demand among eco-tourism operators.

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