U’khand tiger parks to be free of tobacco, liquor
DEHRADUN: Tourists beware! Your next trip to the two world famous tiger reserves in Uttarakhand — Corbett and Rajaji — may set you back by up to ₹5,000 if you are caught smoking, drinking liquor or taking a walk to catch a glimpse of the elusive striped big cat. These are among several other norms whose violation could also land you behind bars.
With tourist footfall gathering pace, the management of the reserves is monitoring their movement and has penalised some people for violating norms.
In the one of the cases, officials revealed that a tourist was caught smoking on October 28 in Bijrani zone of the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). A forest staff clicked a photo of the offender and informed the senior officials. Taking cognizance of the issue, the tourist was slapped with a penalty of ₹5,000. The gypsy driver, who failed to stop him, is likely to have his license cancelled for the season. “It’s the responsibility of the driver. He could have asked the tourists not to smoke,” Surendra Mehra, Corbett director told HT.
The reserve rules mandate that activities such as smoking, drinking, carrying arms and haphazard dumping waste are banned. Eating non-vegetarian food and walking or deviating from the marked route is also punishable. The management organises trainings for gypsy drivers and nature guides, seeking their support to ensure the sanctity of the reserve.