NGT warns Madhya Pradesh govt over Darshan Yatra in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve core area; orders SOP, visitor limits

BHOPAL: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, has criticised Madhya Pradesh authorities for granting permission for the annual Darshan Yatra in the core area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, warning that such mass gatherings could irreparably damage the fragile ecosystem.Hearing a plea filed by environmental activist Ajay Shankar Dubey, the bench of Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Vijay Kulkarni noted that Bandhavgarh, a critical tiger habitat under Project Tiger, cannot host large-scale human activities without threatening its biodiversity.The tribunal observed that previous yatras had drawn more than 14,000 participants into the reserve’s core zone. Pilgrims reportedly cut bamboo for walking sticks, camped without sanitation, polluted the Charanganga river, and disturbed wildlife.

Such practices, the NGT said, violated the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986.The applicant argued that the Field Director’s permission lacked safeguards, including caps on numbers, entry-exit regulation, waste management, or sanitation provisions. The tribunal noted that these omissions amounted to serious lapses.Citing a carrying capacity study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, the NGT recorded that while the terrain could theoretically accommodate 7,000–8,000 pilgrims, the presence of tigers, elephants, and other large animals restricted safe capacity to only 4,000–5,000 visitors.

The WII recommended entry through vehicles only, online registration a month in advance, and better crowd regulation.The tribunal directed the Madhya Pradesh government to finalise a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for regulating such yatras within three months. Until then, the state must ensure minimal disturbance to wildlife and strictly adhere to existing guidelines framed under Project Tiger in 2012.The order comes amid growing concern over rising religious tourism in tiger reserves, which conservationists say threatens protected habitats. The tribunal emphasised that while faith must be respected, it cannot override ecological imperatives.With these directions, the tribunal disposed of the petition.