Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 18: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday announced that wildlife safari services at Nagarahole National Park and Bandipur National Park will resume from Thursday, February 19, following a temporary suspension.
Speaking at the Vikasa Soudha, the minister said a technical committee was constituted after wildlife safari operations were halted. The issue was discussed in a meeting chaired by the chief minister on January 2. The committee, led by senior officials, has submitted an interim report recommending partial resumption in view of public demand.
Accordingly, the government has decided to restart safari operations at 50% capacity. A final decision on full-scale resumption will be taken after the submission of the complete report, he said.
Reduced safari duration
The minister said only 50% of the vehicles that were previously in operation will be allowed in the first phase. Safari timings have also been curtailed.
In Bandipur, safari hours have been reduced from eight hours to five hours. At Sunkadakatte, six hours of safari will be permitted, while in Nagarahole, safari will be allowed for only four hours in the initial phase. Instructions have also been issued to prohibit campfires at resorts and homestays in the region.
Border farmers oppose decision
Meanwhile, farmers in border areas have expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision to reopen Bandipur safari. Agitating farmers have announced a protest and plan to lay siege to the forest office at Melukamanahalli in Bandipur on Thursday.
The state government had temporarily suspended safari operations following a rise in deaths and injuries caused by tiger and leopard attacks in several parts of Karnataka.
Industry representatives had pointed out that the suspension benefited neighbouring states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Karnataka Eco-Tourism Resorts Association (KETRA) had stated that safari bookings increased in national parks such as Ranathambore National Park and Jim Corbett National Park during the shutdown.
It was also reported that around 35 resorts operating in the Bandipur-Nagarahole belt were incurring an average daily loss of Rs 3 crore. Nearly 8,000 people dependent on eco-tourism in the region were affected due to the suspension of safari services.