With illegal safaris in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) continuing officials have planned to set up Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) to curb this and, at the same time, ensure livelihoods for local communities.
The committees are expected to be set up once the forest ranges of Sigur, Singara and Nilgiris North Eastern Slope (encompassing Thengumarada) are brought under the unified control of the Field Director of MTR. So far, the forest ranges fell under the jurisdiction of the Nilgiris North Forest Division, which has disallowed all forms of tourism in the buffer zone. However, with many resorts operating illegally in the three forest ranges, illegal tourism, including day and night safaris are common, causing disturbance to wildlife as risk to tourists.
Field Director of MTR Srinivas R Reddy told The Hindu there were plans to set up three gates for regulated vehicle safaris.
“We are identifying the locations, with the Siriyur-Anaikatty stretch being one of them,” he said.
The forest department believes that regulated tourismcould provide livelihood to the families of around 60-75 vehicle drivers. Safari vehicles will be fitted with global positioning system to keep track of them. Drivers will be allowed to operate safaris only on a rotation basis, so that only a fraction of the total number of vehicles will be allowed into the forests at a given point of time. Mr. Reddy said a penalty would be fixed to deter drivers from breaking rules.
The move has run into opposition from the local people. D Suresh, a resident of Vazhaithottam, said there were fears that the setting up of an EDC along the Siriyur-Anaikatty road would disturb wildlife, and also affect the culture and traditions of the local Irula community. The EDC plan comes at a time when the community feared they would be displaced, he said.
Forest department officials said the EDCs would not affect the indigenous communities in the Sigur plateau. Mr. Reddy said talks would be held with them to allay their fears.
