New Delhi:
The Supreme Court is likely to decide on the Centre's request to allow tourism in at least 20 percent of what is known as core areas of tiger sanctuaries.
In July, the top 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.
Under pressure from various state governments, the Centre had approached the apex court for lifting the ban partially.
In the last court hearing two weeks ago, the Centre had filed an affidavit 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.
The affidavit also mentioned that the states would be required to enact a law to regulate tiger tourism so that tourist facilities and tour operators would not disturb the animals.
This affidavit was filed after a bench of Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar granted four weeks to the Centre to evolve fresh guidelines after consultations with states, all stake-holders, hotel associations affected by the ban, guides and tour operators.