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In a good news for tourists, the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) will add one more entry gate in the buffer zone at Somnath in the Mul forest range. The gate is slated to be opened by forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on July 22.
This will be the 15th entry gate in the buffer zone, making TATR the tiger reserve with maximum tourism gates in the country. Buoyed by the response to buffer tourism at the other 14 gates, local villagers were demanding tourism in Somnath.
TATR’s deputy director (buffer) Kushagra Pathak said that the forest minister’s time is being sought to inaugurate the Somnath gate by the weekend, mostly on July 22.“A 40-50km tourism route has been readied. The safari charges will be similar to other buffer gates,” he said.
Wildlife enthusiast Nikhil Abhyankar said that the opening of Somnath gate will provide a non-extractive source of livelihood to the locals thereby reducing biotic pressure on the forest. “It will also help hoteliers to provide an alternative safari option to tourists as during peak season getting a safari even in the buffer zone becomes difficult,” he said.
Somnath near Mul is 50km from Chandrapur. From Nagpur, the new entry gate via Nagbhid-Sindewahi-Mul would be 146km, while from Nagpur via Warora-Bhadravati-Chandrapur-Mul it would be over 200km. The entire stretch from Mul-Chandrapur is forested and has good wildlife.
“With tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and herbivores, Somnath will be an added attraction. Being close to TATR’s Kolsa range, the dispersing tigers inhibits Somnath,” said Pathak.
At the UN High-Level Forum, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DoNER, G Kishan Reddy, spoke at length about the Goa Roadmap offering guidelines for prioritising sustainable practices, responsible consumption, and collaboration. He reiterated India’s commitment to skilling, women’s led tourism development, destination management, and leveraging technology for a sustainable tourism sector.
Founder of Sanjeevan Paryavaran Sanstha, Umesh Zire, said, “Apart from wildlife sightings, an antique shrine of Somnath Mahadev on a hilltop amid the dense forest will be an added attraction.”“The regular visitors to the temple can be diverted for tourism. The bewitching view of the mountainous tract covered in thick forest is expected to be a crowd-puller. There is also a waterfall in the area,” said Zire.
Pathak said, “Currently we have only four Gypsys. As it is a hilly terrain, private vehicles will not be allowed.”
With man-animal conflict having flared up in Mul and adjoining ranges, the safari will benefit Maroda, Padzari, Adarshkheda, Bhadurni, Usrala, and other small hamlets by way of direct and indirect employment through community tourism initiative.
“Though conflict has nothing to do with the launch of tourism, it will certainly help win people’s trust and community development. Restricting entry into the forest can only curb the tiger-human interface,” said Zire.
Already, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has given directions to the tiger reserves to promote sustainable tourism in a way that benefits local forest communities.
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