New Delhi:
In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court today said that the ban on tourists, in core areas of tiger sanctuaries, will continue. A final decision to remove a stay on the ban will be taken on October 16.
In July, the Supreme Court had banned tourism in core areas of all 41 tiger reserves in the country based on an existing policy of the Centre. The ban was imposed after states failed to comply with the Centre's notification that tourism in these core areas be phased out.
Today various state governments argued that the stay should be lifted because it is hurting the economy of the states with the tourist season beginning on 1 October.
Centre wanted the court to give its approval on the revised guidelines.
But the Supreme Court said that this case arose out of an interim order of the Madhya Pradesh high court and it can't validate or invalidate the guidelines. It however asked the government to notify the guidelines soon.
The centre said it will notify the guidelines as early as tomorrow itself.
Kerala and Madhya Pradesh wanted the Sabarimala temple and Satpura temple area to be kept away from the guidelines.
The court assured the two states and said, "we will not disturb and ensure the guidelines doesn't affect the temple."
During the last hearing, the government of Kerala and devotees of Sabarimala shrine had opposed any move to regulate or control the movement of pilgrims and vehicles to the temples in sanctuaries. The Sabarimala shrine is situated inside the Periyar tiger sanctuary.
Both the devotees and the state government want Sabarimala to be exempted from the court's directive. The Supreme Court has said that states can enact tourism policies according to their needs without disrupting the broad guidelines.
The Madhya Pradesh government also wanted Panchmari town also be exempted from the guidelines, which is located in the buffer area of Satpura sanctuary and has a temple.
The state has said that court guidelines are restricting vehicular movement and will affect people come to Panchmari to see the natural beauty and for pilgrimage.
Under pressure from various state governments, the Centre had approached the top court for lifting the ban partially.
The Centre had filed an affidavit in the court asking for the ban to be lifted on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves. In the affidavit, the Centre had outlined the revised guidelines to protect the tiger population.
The guidelines presented to the court talked about the phasing out of permanent tourist facilities located inside the core areas of the reserve in a specified time frame.