Supreme Court Banned Tourism in Core Areas of Project Tiger Forests

The supreme court banned all tourism activities in the core areas of the tiger reserve forests on 24 July 2012. Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Ibrahim passed the order on a petition filed by conservationist Ajay Dubey. The petition sought a directive to the States to notify the buffer and peripheral areas of the tiger reserves, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, to prevent tourism in the core areas.

The court was informed that except the following states - Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh, the other States have yet not filed affidavits and were yet to notify the core areas, this was informed to the court on 24 July 2012.

The bench has given a final tenure of three weeks to the states that have yet not notified the core areas, failing to do so will lead to a sum of Rs ten thousand on them. The court will take the next hearing on 22 August 2012.