New Delhi:
The Supreme Court is likely to decide today on the Centre's request to allow tourism in at least 20 per cent of the core areas of tiger sanctuaries. The Supreme Court had last week said that the ban on tourists, in core areas of tiger sanctuaries, will continue.
"They have asked us to notify the guidelines. I'm sure they will again review the matter," Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said.
In July, the Supreme Court had banned tourism in core areas of all 41 tiger reserves in the country based on an existing policy of the Centre. The ban was imposed after states failed to comply with the Centre's notification that tourism in these core areas be phased out.
Under pressure from various state governments, the Centre had approached the Supreme Court for lifting the ban partially.
States like Kerala and Madhya Pradesh want temples in core areas be exempted from the guidelines.