Eco-tourism policy for people living around tiger resrves soon

New Delhi, June 19 (UNI) The newly constituted Tiger Conservation Authority is finalising an eco-tourism policy for the benefit of the people living in the vicinity of tiger reserves.

The move is aimed at providing them livelihood to wean them away from exploiting the natural resources of the tiger reserves in an unsustainable way, an official of the Authority said.

At its initial meetings held here, the Authority has also issued instruction to states to deploy local people in the task of wildlife protection as far as possible.

It has also asked them to rope in ex-army personnel for reserves situated in difficult areas.

State Governments have been asked to launch a special drive to fill up vacancies of frontline staff for wildlife protection in the tiger reserves by September.

They have been told that they could relax prescribed qualifications for such posts.

Accepting the Wildlife Institute of India figures about the decline in the tiger population, the Authority has asked the states to lose no time in preparing a tiger conservation plan for each reserve.

The preparartion of the plan is required under the Section 38 V of the Wild Life(Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 by delineating core and buffer areas, which may require renotification of the existing reserves under the Section.

States have been told to ste up a tiger conservation foundation in each reserve to facilitates and support tiger reserve management.

UNI