KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

• In India, entry into forests is governed by The Indian Forest Act, 1927, and The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• The first applies to all reserve forests and prohibits trespassing.
• Everyone other than people who live in villages inside reserve forests, needs permission from the divisional forest officer concerned for entering these forests.
• The wildlife Protection Act empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden of a state to frame laws for tourists entering Protected areas.
• Under the same act, the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) has the power to set rules for tiger reserves.
• Kaziranga National Park is also a tiger reserve.
• A Chief Wildlife Warden must act with the previous approval of the state government concerned, no rule once set by the warden can be violated by anyone, including higher authorities.

A CM can direct the Chief Wildlife Warden to mmodify make certain rules  But any violation of a standing rule will invite a penalty under The Wildlife Protection Act.

Law in Kaziranga:

• Like many national parks, and tiger reserves in India, Kaziranga does not allow entry after sunset.
• It remains unclear whether that rule was modified or the CM's entourage was given prior permission by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
• NTCA in July, asked Madhya Pradesh to stop night safaris that were started last year in the buffer zones of the Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Pand Pench tiger reserves n the ground that such activities disturbed the wildlife in the park.
• The state requested the NTCA to reconsider and allow night safaris to continue in three reserves.
• In 2010, the Karnataka High Court allowed the state government to conduct a night safari in an area of 50 hectares of Bannerghatta after it was assured that the forest department would take adequate safety & security measures.

 

Policy Elsewhere:

• The scope for legally permitted night safaris inside sanctuaries, nand ational parks is limited in India, night game drives are routine in Africa, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia etc.
• Night boat Safaris to spot Caimans or their eyes reflecting roving spotlights are popular across the Amazon river system from Peru to Brazil.
• Singapore offers a more curated, somewhat artificial experience Mandai is advertised as the world's first nocturnal wildlife park.

Reasons:

• India does not have private forests where tour promoters can do according to their wish.
• The practical reason why night Safaris are not encouraged in India is because of its topography.
• In the African Savannah, lack of vegetation reduces the chances of surprise encounters with wild animals.
• Tourists generally get a 360⁰ view to putting hand spotlights, and cameras to good use at night.
• There are tropical dense forests in India where sighting wildlife is not easy even during the day.
• While driving on a forest track overhung by vegetation, makes spotting animals extremely difficult on the tracks even if they are very close.
• This may cause accidents and put tourists, and animals in danger.
• A wild animal that is momentarily blinded by direct light from an approaching vehicle can react unpredictably.
• Foresters who travel almost daily through forests at night, take extra care to spot animals approaching laterally or bumping into ones waiting by the sideways.

Upshot:

While the government has the powers, allowing night drives are likely to bring in crowds of Safari vehicles, which one is accustomed to witnessing in the daytime in most of the reserves.

Beyond the balance of safety, and rewards many believe there is little justification for bringing vehicular noise, and light in the prime wildness after sunset when most of the wild come into the element.

 

 

For Prelims: Kaziranga National Park, Indian Forests Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 For Mains: 1. What are the prohibitions for visitors in case of National Parks, Discuss the laws governing National Parks and Tiger reserves