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The Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) ban on the newly-introduced Cruiser safari vehicles for resort owners and tour agents have left them fuming.
These nine-seater Cruisers, a replacement for the 22-seater old canters, will now be available for locals from Chandrapur only. The ban came into force on March 2. The park has six Cruisers with all of them operating from the Mohurli entry gate.
Chief conservator of forest (CCF) and TATR field director Jitendra Ramgaonkar said, “When we made these Cruisers available to everyone online, these were booked within minutes allegedly by resort owners. There was no room for those who came calling to my office for a berth.”
Ramgaonkar added, “The facility has been started with a good intention to benefit all but it seems it was misused by hiring agents in Chandrapur, depriving common tourists of an entry. Hence, we were left with no choice but to impose restrictions.”
However, stakeholders said that earlier one canter was made available online. Regarding the issue, Ramgaonkar said, “When one canter was available online, the same issues cropped up and common tourists could not book it. Yet, we will consider putting one or two Cruisers online soon.”
In response to grievances voiced by the local community, Tadoba has prohibited resort owners and safari/tour agents from bookings Cruisers. These safari vehicles are in demand owing to the economic cost of Rs 500 per person.
As per the new rule, locals from Chandrapur can book Cruisers from 11am to 2pm at the field director’s office on Mul Road in Chandrapur. From 3pm to 5pm, locals running home stays can do the bookings by visiting the office on a first-come-first served basis. One home stay owner will be able to book only six seats per day.
At a time when it is the peak wildlife tourism season and visitors from all over the country are making a beeline in Tadoba, the restrictions have left resort owners and tour operators disappointed. They termed the move as vote bank politics by forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar to appease local voters before the Lok Sabha elections.
“There are six Cruisers in Tadoba. All these vehicles operate from the Mohurli gate. Why this bias?” said Nikhil Abhyankar, a resort owner at Kolara.
“A tourist entering the park from Kolara on the Chimur side is also part of Chandrapur. So, whom will you call a local? All the entry gates are part of Chandrapur. Why should they not benefit?” Abhyankar asked.
“When Cruisers were brought in, it was decided to distribute them at other gates so that the other locals could gain. Today, the maximum number of resorts are based in Kolara but despite the demand, neither the canters were started nor do the Cruisers operate from here. Why should only one entry gate benefit always? We too pay conservation fee to the park,” said some resort owners.
“The local community, which often relies on the reserve for their livelihood through eco-tourism and conservation efforts, has been particularly vocal about the need for regulation. Kolara, Navegaon and Zari gates should also get Cruisers,” said a section of guides.
Contrarily, the decision to restrict the use of Cruisers has been welcomed, but many tourists feel its benefit should not be confined to Chandrapur only. “What wrong have we done? If a politician can contest elections from anywhere in the country, why can’t Indian nationals enjoy a safari in a Cruiser?,” asked wildlife tourist Nitish Bhandakkar from Nagpur.
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