Villagers Protest Against New Tourism Zone

Villagers’ Fury: Protest Against New Tourism Zone, Demanding More Compensation for Wildlife-Related Deaths

Ramnagar: Villagers have raised objections against the establishment of new tourism zones in the forests adjacent to the Corbett Tiger Reserve, citing the increased risk of human-wildlife conflict. The villagers have sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister, protesting the proposed tourism zone in Chhoi-Kyari-Chandni.

At a Mahapanchayat held on Monday at Kyari Inter College, the villagers voiced their concerns about the rising human-wildlife conflict. They pointed out that a person from the village had been killed by a man-eating tiger, and demanded the immediate capture of the tiger to ensure the safety of villagers and their livestock from wild animals and monkeys. The villagers called for the prompt capture of animals that enter populated areas and for the removal of provisions requiring the Chief Wildlife Warden’s permission to kill or capture dangerous animals like tigers and leopards.

The villagers also demanded that the number of tigers and leopards be limited, suggesting that the excess of these animals (currently more than 560 tigers and over 3,000 leopards in the state) should be relocated to other areas. They requested an increase in compensation for wildlife-related deaths from 6 lakhs to 25 lakhs. They criticized the promotion of safari tourism under the guise of eco-tourism, arguing that it forces wild animals into human settlements, making them more aggressive.

The villagers have demanded the immediate halt to the proposed Chhoi-Kyari-Chandni tourism zone. If the man-eating tiger active in the area is not captured within two weeks, the villagers have threatened to launch an aggressive protest.

The Mahapanchayat was attended by Gita Khati, Vimla Devi, Bhavna Sharma, Deepa Devi, Basanti Kandpal, Jagdamba Sati, Tara Devi, Vimla Sharma, Bhavna Mehra, Jyoti Sati, Kamla Dani, Neema Sati, Mohini Pandey, Manju Nainwal, Mamta Panwar, Chandra Sati, Bina Rawat, Kamla Sati, Hema Upadhyay, Gita Nainwal, Padma Sati, Harshita Sati, Vishwajeet Singh, Mahesh Joshi, Sanjay Negi, Yogesh Kumar, Vaibhav Kandpal, and others.