The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has recently launched new tourism initiatives in the core zones of its tiger reserves, despite directives from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to remove tourism structures from these protected areas. Established to ensure minimal human interference, core zones within tiger reserves are intended to serve as safe habitats for tigers and are generally off-limits to tourism activities, as per a 2019 NTCA order, which followed a Supreme Court order from 2012, prohibiting any new permanent tourism facilities in these core areas.
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On the other hand, UP’s strategy involves creating ecotourism infrastructure and boating amenities inside these protected areas. For example, in an effort to draw tourists, a boating site has been established in the central area of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, and a bamboo cabin has been built on Chukha Beach beside the Sharda River.
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Reports add that the state has also set aside INR 38 lakh to construct a lawn and parking spots at Ranipur Tiger Reserve as part of its efforts to enhance visitor amenities. The jungle safari services at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve have also been revived, and plans are underway to expand ecotourism in additional wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh. These initiatives come just after the UP Government officially opened the eco-tourism season for 2024-25 across its tiger reserves, including Pilibhit, Amangarh, and Dudhwa, on November 6—nine days earlier than usual.
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UP Forest Minister Arun Kumar Saxena shared plans to further develop the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary to match the facilities at Dudhwa. However, several officials, including Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sudhir Kumar Sharma, refrained from commenting on UP’s decision to retain and expand these tourism amenities, particularly in core tiger zones. According to NTCA guidelines, states were given five years to phase out permanent tourist facilities from core zones, a deadline which expired recently. But UP has not only maintained these facilities; it has reportedly invested over Rs 3 crore to renovate tourist accommodations, including Tharu huts, and establish a new boating point along the Sharda Sagar Dam within Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
Conservationists and officials in states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which have followed the NTCA directive, are concerned about this judgement. The forest officials from the Maharashtra forest department prohibited stays and eliminated all visitor accommodations in core forest zones, likewise Madhya Pradesh only allows essential personnel in core locations. Conservationists opine that it’s necessary to preserve the core zones for tiger conservation, as it ensures minimal human impact on these endangered animals’ natural habitats.
As Uttar Pradesh makes efforts to boost tourism, this policy change raises concerns about how it may affect conservation efforts and the future of India’s protected tiger zones.
