8 hrs ago
Bengal Resumes Forest Entry Fees, Relieving Fringe Villagers
National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Bengal have started charging visitors again.
They reopened on September 16 after being closed for three months.
Villages near the forests receive some of the money collected from visitors.
This money helps pay for roads, small bridges, wells and solar lights.
The money collection had stopped in January last year.
Because of that, many village projects had to stop.
Villagers are now happy that funding may return.
Tourists, however, want tickets for vehicles and park entry to be available online so they do not have to wait in long lines.
West Bengal resumed entry-fee collection at national parks and wildlife sanctuaries after their September 16 reopening.
Forest-fringe villagers welcomed the decision because Joint Forest Management Committees receive a share of visitor revenue.
The committees said suspended revenue had halted projects such as road repairs, culverts, tube wells and solar lighting.
Buxa Tiger Reserve has 64 committees representing about 10,000 people, while Jaldapara has 72 serving about 20,000.
Tourists face long ticket queues and are seeking online booking for vehicle safaris and forest entry tickets.
- Who
- The state forest department, tourists, forest-fringe villagers and Joint Forest Management Committees.
- What
- Entry-fee collection has resumed at national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across Bengal.
- Where
- National parks and wildlife sanctuaries across Bengal, including Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara National Park and Gorumara National Park.
- When
- The parks and sanctuaries reopened on September 16 after three months; fee collection had been suspended since January last year.
- Why
- Revenue shares support development projects in forest-fringe communities, while the resumption also restores visitor-fee collection.
Community Benefits
Tourist Convenience
Resuming entry fees
Community Benefits
Villagers and Joint Forest Management Committees welcomed the decision because their revenue share can restart development projects.
Tourist Convenience
Tourists and tourism stakeholders are focused on avoiding delays and uncertainty at entry points as fee collection resumes.
Ticket booking system
Community Benefits
The articles emphasize that restored visitor revenue can support forest-fringe communities.
Tourist Convenience
Tourists and resort operators want online booking for vehicle safaris and forest entry tickets to reduce long queues.
Key facts
- Revenue share
- Joint Forest Management Committee members said about 40 percent of department revenue was allocated to them.
- Buxa committees
- There are 64 Joint Forest Management Committees around Buxa Tiger Reserve, representing about 10,000 people.
- Jaldapara committees
- There are 72 Joint Forest Management Committees around Jaldapara, serving about 20,000 people.
- Supported projects
- Funds have been used for culverts, road repairs, deep tube wells and solar street lights.
- Current tourist issue
- Visitors report long queues for entry and vehicle-safari tickets.
- Existing online booking
- Elephant safaris at Gorumara and Jaldapara can be booked online.
- Expected announcement
- Industry stakeholders expected announcements about online booking during Suvendu Adhikari's scheduled September 22 visit to Alipurduar.
Quotes
A tourist visiting Jaldapara National Park
Visitor to Jaldapara National Park
“We are very happy that entry fee collection has resumed. At the end of the year, we expect to receive funds as in previous years, except for the period when collection remained suspended. The fund is very useful for us as we can undertake development works with it.”
telegraphindia.com
“Entry tickets and tickets for vehicles should also be sold online. It would reduce the uncertainty over tickets, and we would no longer have to stand in long queues to collect those at the entry points.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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