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Halt to Buxa Safari / Rides for tiger protection 

17th September, 2010: The forest department has stopped the most – sought - after car sa­faris in the Buxa Tiger Re­serve on the directive of a cen­tral authority on the conserva­tion of the big cat, dealing a major blow to tourism in the eastern Dooars.

Tour operators said the ban, which had come into effe­ct from yesterday, would keep visitors away from Buxa as car rides were the major attrac­tion.

"We have received a direc­tive from the National Tiger Conservation Authority rece­ntly, mentioning the need to keep tourists away from core areas. Accordingly, the field di­rector of the BTR has issued a notice to stop car safaris in the forest for the time being. Tourist can trek to Buxa Dooar or Pukhuri hills to enjoy the forest," said Suvankar Sengupta, the deputy field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve (East). Hundreds of people avail of the car safaris everyday to go deep inside the forest. They can see animals and visit the Pukhuri hills, where different species of fish are found in a pond.

 

"It is not clear why the forest department has all of a sudden stopped car safaris in the beginning of the tourism season. Tourists come to Buxa with the sole intention of taking the jungle rides. Visitors' flow to Buxa will stop in the absence of the car safaris and what will then happen to the local people who depend on tourism directly or indirectly?" asked Shekhar Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Jayanti Gram Unnayan Samity. Jainti is one of the entry points to Buxa, from where tourists board vehicles for the jungle safaris. Tourism is the major source of income for around 200 people in the locality, where more than 10 resorts are run by individuals and different government departments.

Bhattacharjee said the forest department wanted to relocate people living in the tiger reserve as part of a central plan. "They had offered Rs 10 lakh to each family to vacate Jainti last year. We are ready to move out but there has been no effort on the part of the authorities to make the payment. We will start an agitation if BTR officers do not resume the car safaris in two days." ….. The Telegraph 

Posted on: 24 Sep, 2010

Tags: Gorumara, Jaldapara, Chapramari, Dooars
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