AS WE TURNED off the sixlane Bangalore-Mysore highway, headed down progressively narrower roads, it seemed like we were going to any other village in rural Karnataka. Ragi and horse gram were spread on the road to be threshed by passing vehicles and the paddy fields were dotted with Egrets and Black Ibis. But as we approached Kokkare Bellur, it became clear that this was no ordinary village: overhead, we saw a few pelicans and from atop several trees came the loud raucous calls of nesting storks.

The very existence of Deepor Beel is under threat as some anti-social groups are busy encroaching its areas and illegally cutting the soil of the wetland.

To enlist State in the tourism map of the world, Madhya Pradesh Eco-tourism Development Board (MPEDB) is working on about fifty new eco-tourism projects across the state.

Inauguration of Sunderban Wetlands in Kolkata Bookfair 2008 is a prelude to the predicament of the mangrove treasure trove, threatened by the phenomena of global warming. Mr Kiranmoy Nanda, fishery minister of West Bengal, Mr Tushar Kanjilal and other dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony. The price tag for Sunderban Wetlands is Rs 500 and is available at the Benfish store in the fair. Written by Dr Madhumita Mukherjee, joint secretary of the fisheries department, government of West Bengal, the book highlights the recent changes in the biodiversity of Sunderbans and its impact on the people living there. Dr Mukherjee said that the ecological changes in the region have affected the lives of the animals and human beings. She also said that efforts are being made to ensure that people of Sunderbans can take benefit of alternative livelihood based on the results of scientific research. Mr Tushar Kanjilal, who has spent 40 years in Sunderbans, expressed his concern on the recent changes the region. In his speech, Mr Kanjilal spoke of the "environmental refugees' in Sunderbans, people who were compelled to migrate as the sea has swallowed their home. He said that the complete destruction of forests in 54 out of 102 islands in the Sunderban has taken its toll as two islands has already been wiped off. While speaking of the region, Mr Kiranmoy Nanda said: "The Sunderbans is like our mother.' He said that the government is making efforts to ensure protection and optimum utilisation of natural resources in the area. He said that filled canals are being restructured and measures are taken to protect the mangrove. He also said that for the weed collectors in Sunderbans, the government is looking for alternative source of living that will also connect them with the wetlands. Mr Nanda is hopeful that the upcoming 40000 sweet water bodies in Sunderbans, in addition to the existing 33000 will improve the situation. All the speakers were of opinion that the book is a storehouse of information that will help all those want to delve into the unknown facets of Sunderbans.

Says area under orchards increases to 97000 hectares, about 4000 hectares of additional land in Jammu division is being brought under fruit plantation under technology Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture during the current financial year raising the total area under horticulture to 97000 hectares. For this purpose, about 5 lakh fruit plants are being supplied to the farmers on subsidized rates. These fruit plants varieties include apple, pears, peach, apricot, walnut, citrous, peacun-nut and olive plants. This was stated by the Minister for Horticulture and PHE Mohammad Dilawar Mir while addressing a gathering of tribal Bakarwals in Charawa village near historic Mansar lake today. The Minister announced that 50 hectares of land in Majalta block will be brought under next year for which about 1250 plants would be distributed among the farmers. He also announced 5 water storage tanks in block Majalta for providing irrigation facilities to the orchardists. He also sanctioned a water reservoir in Charawa village for storage of drinking water. The Minister said that the government have launched an ambitious programme under technology mission to train farmers about latest horticulture technology. He said village women and schoolgirls are being imparted training in fruit and vegetable preservation under technology mission. The Minister said that village Charawa is proposed to be developed as model tourist village under rural tourism development programme to showcase tribal life style, rural cultures and their village life. He said necessary infrastructure in this connection would be developed in the village to make it attracting for domestic and foreign tourists. He said nomadic life style of Bakarwals in Majalta block provide them with perfect skills to become mountain trekking guides for tourists adding that this manpower potential would be exploited optimally to upgrade living standard of the people in the area. Earlier, The Minister inspected renovation works in the famous water body of Mansar lake and directed the concerned officers to make this picnic spot more attractive for tourists. He called for keeping the water body neat and pollution free. ASP asks central govt to frame farmer friendly

With the tiger fighting a losing battle for survival in the wild, here is the story of one man's resolve to see the royal beast in its natural habitat. Sought-after prize of tourists: A tigress at the Ranthambore Park. Tales of all-eluding tigers are perhaps the most swapped stories among eco-tourists. I remember sharing tables and travel stories with complete unknowns at a non-descript coffee house in Kolkata a year and a half back. Those were the days when the realisation that there existed fine demarcations between travellers also had not dawned on me. On that table that day, I understood that I was a cultural traveller

A draft copy of the proposed Eco-tourism policy for Sikkim, that includes creation of an autonomous regulatory Sikkim Eco-tourism Council, has been prepared by Ecotourism Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS). The proposed autonomous council headed by a chairperson has two tiers below it. Sikkim Eco-tourism Directorate with a Chief Operating Officer will coordinate the allied agencies in regulating and boosting ecotourism activities in the state. The proposed Council will have representations from different stakeholders and state forest officials. The directorate will have four different departments to fulfill the objectives of the policy. The State Government has positioned Sikkim as the ultimate ecotourism destination and identified it as a thrust industry, said Renzino Lepcha, the Executive Secretary, ECOSS while outlining the rationale behind the proposed policy. "Ecotourism represents a core element of Sikkim tourism initiatives and projects. Thus, the need for an ecotourism guideline for the State is essential in order to coordinate and bring synergy and integration between the various stakeholders in ecotourism,' said Lepcha to UNI. "Its time that Sikkim should prepare guidelines that reflect its natural and cultural characteristics, besides preserving it for the future. Some states have already done their policy,' he said. "The four interpretations of the proposed draft were Samraman, Sahyog (cooperation and interdependence among the stakeholders), Sahabhagita (participation in all activities) and Samrakshan (conservation). Conservation is supreme in eco-tourism,' said Lepcha. Eleven different strategies have been formulated to fulfill the objectives of the ecotourism policy by ECOSS in the draft copy, after brainstorming with the stakeholders. The strategies include product development, publicity, forging private public partnerships, monitoring and benefit sharing mechanism. Tour agents, joint forest management committee and other stakeholders have been asked to submit their suggestions to make the policy a model policy. The ECOSS Executive Secretary said the policy could be adopted in the second week of March after it is submitted to the state government by the Eco-tourism Circle of the forest department. T D Rai, Director of the eco-tourism cell of the State Forest Department, told UNI that eco tourism falls mainly in forest areas, which are under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department and attracts the Central and State Forest Acts. The development of ecotourism activities in these areas can be done after making it as a component of the management plan of forest and wild areas, he said.

Generating funds and guaranteed sightings of exotic fauna are part of the misguided strategies of eco-tourism. Some 12 jeeps had converged at a point in the forest. In all there were about 50 people in them. They chattered and whispered in excitement, waiting for the tiger to emerge from where it was hiding. Finally it did, as it darted across the open space into the safe covers of the bushes and disappeared, almost like a ghost. Leaving behind the people in various levels of nirvana! Reporting on the "sightings' back at the resort, everyone was pleased. The manager, the guides and the tourists. The visit had been worth it, finally. But, a thought remained: what could be the thoughts of the tiger, that had been almost "ambushed' (in the words of a forest officer)? Opinions vary. On whether eco-tourism is a benevolent thing or can lead to more damage of our already fragile forests and wildlife. True eco-tourism is one in which the tourist takes back some lessons, and leaves behind nothing, no footprints. He/she learns to respect nature and the laws that operate in its pristine world. But, alarmingly what is emerging is nothing like that. The operators are there for money. The tourists come for excitement. With eco-tourism the mantra, it is time for a kill. The rates speak. All comforts are offered in the wilderness. And guarantees of a "tiger encounter' even offered in some places. The tourist can be heard grumbling and even asking back for money if a tiger or elephant is not sighted. Who cares about the squirrels or birds? And god forbid a tiger or elephant that crosses path with such tourists. Flashlights pop all around as cameras zoom in. With a good sighting, the guides and drivers can be coaxed into inching closer than allowed. Pleasing their customer comes before forest rules. Some even know how to annoy an elephant and cause a mock charge. For a good digital shot. They cannot be blamed. And now, the tourism department plans to take on more areas for eco-tourism. It would have been a good idea if again "development' and revenue were not the key-words, but conservation and education. The words used clearly show that it is about "tapping unused potential'. What a pity. Not only in Karnataka, but everywhere in the country, eco-tourism is an uncontrolled phenomenon with poor planning and short-term vision of generating money. In the national parks of Madhya Pradesh, jeeps queue up in a long line and let in a few at a time. After all, one gets guarantees of sightings here! But the other side of this is the well-known fact that tigers in Kanha and Ranthambore had got so used to human presence that they became sitting ducks for poachers! However, some experts believe eco-tourism can check poaching. "Papa' Wakefield, the brand ambassador of Jungle Lodges Resorts is one who is very sure that poaching is at its maximum when the "jungles are closed to tourists in the monsoons'. Annoyed with the PCCF's direction to have the parks closed for a "breeding season in July', Wakefield does agree that there is need to control eco-tourism. In the case of Kabini, he points to how there are so many operators in the area and more coming, that there are times when 21 vehicles used to be in the jungles at the same time. Now, with the intervention of the PCCF, this has been brought down to 12. What he, and others concerned about the alarming growth of eco-tourism, say is, "while you cannot stop anyone from buying land around jungles, you can stop their entry into the forests. Limited entry is required to disturb the animals the least'. The other area that needs to be discussed is how revenue generated from these resorts can be ploughed back into the forests, whether it be for conservation or paying pending salaries of forest staff. This revenue can amount to more than Rs 2 lakh from one resort alone. In states like MP, this money is being used for forest department needs, but not in Karnataka. Finally, a true nature lover will argue that eco-tourism can happen only if the tourists are willing to rough it out, to walk in the jungle rather than ride through it, to look around and absorb the flora and fauna, to learn lessons of interdependence. It's all there if one keeps eyes and ears open. The langur's alarm call that alerts all the other denizens of a predator, the parasite tree that grows on to the host tree, the life sustained by elephant dung, etc. That is how true eco-tourism should ideally be promoted. Even otherwise, it is necessary to incorporate education into the eco-tourism as being touted. With a mere four per cent protected area in the country, even a few enlightened persons can make a difference.

A Wildlife Institute of India (WII) report has stressed the need for a scientific evaluation of the effects of eco-tourism on a particular area. Presenting a paper on

The growth of tourism around protected areas, energy efficiency and waste disposal will be the focus at the seminar on 'Eco-Tourism in Karnataka: Challenges, policy and Future' to be held here on Tuesday. The seminar will also discuss partnership of eco-tourism operators in the conservation of forest and wildlife. Recommendations will be made in the presence of Parameshwarappa, who has been appointed by Planning Commission as advisor on eco-tourism. All stakeholders in eco-tourism, including the private investors, will be brought on a single platform where they can debate issues to evolve an eco-tourism policy, said Mr Tiwari. "There is a need to develop an