Tourists get census shock

Jalpaiguri, Nov. 16: The restriction imposed on the entry of tourists to forests to facilitate a hassle-free animal census has sparked resentment among tour operators, hoteliers and visitors.

Travel agents alleged that there was no formal intimation of the ban, which came into effect from yesterday. As a result, a number of tourists who had headed for Gorumara or Jaldapara yesterday for a day visit, had to return from the gates after the guards informed them about the restriction.

Forest department sources said the animal census, to be conducted in all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of the region (except Singalila National Park and Buxa Tiger Reserve) from November 23 to 28, might face disruption if tourists are allowed inside the reserves at that time.

`We imposed the ban from November 15. It will continue till the 30th of this month and all bookings stand cancelled,` said Rajiv Sharma, the divisional forest officer (wildlife-2).

Pointing out the problems that tourist entry might pose a problem for the census, a senior forest official said: `We need to count the herbivores that often stay away because of the sound of vehicles. The pugmarks could also be damaged in case they fall on the approach roads. Also, we will have to deploy all our staff for the census. They cannot take care of the tourists and do the census job at the same time.`

But this second round of cancellation (the first was when former Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu had come on a six-day visit to Hollong bungalow in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary during the pujas) of bookings has left the tour operators worried.

`We have not yet received any formal letter from the forest department though the entry ban has come into effect from yesterday. They should have told us beforehand,` said Samrat Sanyal, associated with Eastern Himalayas Tour Operators’ Association.

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