Open-jeep safaris
Context
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has ordered the complete phasing out of open-jeep safaris and mandated their replacement with secure, enclosed buses across all tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in the state.
- Directive was issued as a proactive measure to maximize tourist safety following a tragic, fatal incident at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu.
Key Measures and Safety Mandates
According to the official directive issued to the Chief Wildlife Warden, multiple strict safety updates are being rolled out immediately:
- Open-top camper jeeps will be replaced entirely by fully secured buses equipped with iron-bar grilles or shatterproof glass.
- Existing open safari vehicles must be retrofitted with iron meshes and unbreakable glass barriers before they can be used for any further tours.
- Tourists are strictly prohibited from stepping out of safari vehicles or entering designated forest premises under any circumstances.
- Every single safari vehicle must carry a first-aid kit, and dedicated ambulance services must be permanently stationed near all major safari centers and elephant camps.
- The minister emphasized that even high-profile VIPs will no longer be allowed in open vehicles and must use the same secured transport
Affected Protected Areas
The ban on open-jeep configurations and the transition to fortified buses applies directly to eight prominent wildlife tourism destinations in Karnataka:
- Bandipur Tiger Reserve
- Nagarahole Tiger Reserve
- Bhadra Tiger Reserve
- Kali Tiger Reserve
- Biligirirangana Betta (B.R. Hills) Tiger Reserve
- Male Mahadeshwara Hills (M.M. Hills)
- Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary
- Gudi Wilderness Camp
About Tiger reserve
- India houses 58 notified tiger reserves
- These conservation zones are governed under Project Tiger (launched in 1973) and administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Legislative & Administrative Mechanism
- Notification Process: Statutory status is granted under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The state government notifies an area on the binding recommendation of the NTCA.
- Core-Buffer Strategy:
- Core/Critical Tiger Habitat: Inviolable zones demarcated legally where human exploitation or commercial activities are strictly barred.
- Buffer/Peripheral Zone: Surrounding areas that permit managed co-existence, regulated tourism, and sustainable resource extraction for local tribes.
- Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project: A newly launched central tracking framework (2025–2028) by the NTCA to monitor and protect the 20-25% of wild tigers moving outside traditional sanctuary borders
Important Facts
- Largest Tiger Reserve: Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (Andhra Pradesh/Telangana) by total area.
- Second Largest Tiger Reserve: Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (West Bengal), which recently expanded its boundary.
- Smallest Tiger Reserve: Bor Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) by total area; Orang Tiger Reserve (Assam) features the smallest core zone.
- Highest Tiger Density & Population: Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) has the maximum tiger count.
- Top Tiger State: Madhya Pradesh leads with the highest number of wild tigers (785).
- Reserves reporting Zero Tigers: Dampa (Mizoram), Kamlang (Arunachal Pradesh), Kawal (Telangana), Satkosia (Odisha), and Sahyadri (Maharashtra
Lithium deposits
Context
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has proposed to drill 37 boreholes to search for lithium deposits across 510 acres of the Amareshwara block forest in the Raichur district of Karnataka.
- Large quantities of gold and lithium have been found in Koppal and Raichur. But extraction and detailed research has been stalled as the areas fall under protected forests.
- It is only the second instance of lithium being found in the country after the detection in Jammu and Kashmir Valley. The metal has been found at Amareshwara in Raichur.
- If allowed, Karnataka will be the first state to extract lithium.
Core Details of the Proposal
- The Survey Plan: The GSI plans to drill 37 boreholes of four-inch diameter across an undulating terrain to prospect for the critical mineral.
- Impacted Area: While the broader exploration block spans roughly 510 acres of forest land, the actual ground footprint directly impacted by the drilling equipment totals only 26 acres.
- Environmental Cost: Carrying out the survey will require felling 941 trees. In response, the GSI has agreed to fund compensatory afforestation efforts.
- Afforestation Mandate: Under guidelines tied to the amended Forest (Conservation) Act, the project will require planting 110 “tall trees” for every borehole drilled, creating a future plantation of 4,070 tall trees in degraded forest patches
About CAMPA
- It is a statutory mechanism governed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- It was institutionalised under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016 to monitor, manage, and expedite the utilization of funds collected as environmental compensation for diverting forest lands for non-forest purposes (like mining or industries).
- It emerged from an ad-hoc body mandated by the Supreme Court in the landmark N. Godavarman case.
- The financial books of both National and State CAMPA authorities undergo an mandatory annual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Core Structure and Fund Allocation
The CAF Act, 2016 establishes distinct financial accounts that are interest-bearing and non-lapsable.
- National Compensatory Afforestation Fund: Established under the Public Account of India.
- State Compensatory Afforestation Fund: Established under the Public Account of each respective State/UT.
- Sharing Ratio: The funds collected are distributed in a 10:90 ratio. The National Fund retains 10% for monitoring and capacity building, while 90% is sent to the respective states to implement field-level conservation work.
Dubare elephant camp
Context
Tamil Nadu tourist dies after being caught in clash between two elephants at Dubare Elephant Camp in Karnataka.
- Dubare Elephant Camp is a renowned ecotourism site located on the banks of the Kaveri River in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka.
- Historically a training ground for the famous Mysore Dasara elephants, it is currently managed as an integration and rehabilitation facility by the Karnataka Forest Department alongside Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR).
- The moist deciduous forests of Dubare are home to many wild animals and birds.
Indian Guar
Context
The Forest Department captured a male Indian gaur, in Chikkamagaluru district, marking the first scientific capture of the species in South India.
About Indian Gaur
- It is a large bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
- It is the largest species among the wild cattle.
- The domesticated gayal or mithun originated partly from the wild gaur.
- Habitat: Evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN : Vulnerable
- Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
- Population: Nagarahole, Bandipur National Parks, Tadoba Andhari Tiger, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Silent Valley, and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Tripura is home to a significant number of individuals.