The Department of Forests plans to freeze tourism infrastructure at Nagarahole and shift the safari to the park periphery to reduce disturbance to wildlife.
There is adequate land on the periphery of the national park to create dormitories, cottages and parking facilities for the safari. Once the new facilities are in place, the safari vehicles will operate from Veeranahosahalli Gate. This will reduce human disturbance in the existing tourism zone at Nagarahole.
At present, tourists visiting Nagarahole drive all the way through the core forests for 31 km from Veeranahosahalli Gate to reach the tourism zone. Incidentally, there is no defined buffer zone for Nagarahole, which is spread over 639 sq. km and the entire landscape is deemed to be core, unlike in Bandipur.
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve director H.C. Kantharaj told The Hindu that the proposal had been submitted to higher authorities and a decision may be taken in due course. He said the existing facilities at Nagarahole would continue to be used until the new facilities were created; subsequently the old ones would be dismantled.
The growing popularity of the park and the increase in tourist flow have led to a rise in vehicle movement inside the national park. Once the safari is shifted to the periphery, it will obviate the need for tourists to drive through the core forest and it will reduce the number of vehicles plying inside.
“The tourist vehicles will be parked outside the national park at the Veeranahosahalli Gate. The safari will begin and end there,” said Mr. Kantharaj.
The national park supports a rich density of tigers, elephants, dholes and leopards, besides harbouring a high density of prey animals such as spotted deer and gaur.
Plan at Bandipur
A similar project for Bandipur was proposed a few years ago. Even the blueprint for shifting the tourism zone to the periphery at Melkamanahally was ready. But the proposal was disbanded because of lack of funds to create new infrastructure. But, now with greater focus on conservation and a National Tiger Conservation Authority directive to this effect, the proposal may be revived.
