Despite NGT directive, religious procession held in MP tiger reserve

A religious procession was held inside the core tiger zone of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on December 14, despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directing the MP Government to frame guidelines before allowing such events.

A day before the procession, the NGT noted that holding a religious event (or any human activity) in the core tiger zone — an inviolate area meant to provide a safe sanctuary for tigers — violates the Wildlife Protection Act. The NGT was hearing a petition filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who raised concerns about the potential ecological impact of the procession on the tiger reserve. “Previously, more than 14,000 people participated in this yatra, entering the sensitive core area of the reserve. Participants use the Charan Ganga river for rituals and engage in overnight stays without proper sanitation facilities,” the tribunal observed.

The NGT also highlighted that participants cut bamboo from the forest for walking sticks. The NGT also directed the government to form a committee of experts to propose measures for regulating religious processions and to submit an action-taken report within four weeks.