Tourism-related activities can now be carried out in core areas of tiger reserves across the country strictly in accordance with the fresh guidelines for conservation of the big cat notified by the Centre on October 15, the Supreme Court held on Tuesday.
Lifting the ban imposed earlier by it on tourism in critical areas of the country’s tiger sanctuaries, the apex court also directed state governments to formulate their own plans for tiger conservation within the next six months in accordance with the guidelines notified on Monday by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
“We make it clear that we have not held the guidelines either intra vires (constitutionally valid) or ultra vires (unconstitutional),” a bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatenter Kumar said while modifying the court’s July 24 order halting all tourism-related activities in the core areas of tiger reserves.