At Kankai, govt goes against own rule

19/01/2018
At Kankai, govt goes against own rule
The Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/at-kankai-govt-goes-against-own-rule/articleshow/62560764.cms

The state tourism department has been violating the state government's own forest laws and allowing numerous tourists to halt at night in the Kankai temple located in the heart of Gir Sanctuary. Under the rules, the forest department can allow night stay to not more than 50 devotees at a time.

In September 2017, the Gujarat government had issued a notification allowing 50 devotees to stay overnight at the Kankai Mataji temple within the Gir sanctuary. However, the Gujarat tourism website says tourists are 'advised' to stay overnight and that too by hiring a private transporter.

devotees to stay overnight at the Kankai Mataji temple within the Gir sanctuary. However, the Gujarat tourism website says tourists are 'advised' to stay overnight and that too by hiring a private transporter.

The Kankai temple page on the website says 50 km from Sasan Gir, there is a shrine to Kankai Mata, the protector of the shepherds of Gir forest.

"A supremely wild place, here you can hear lions roar at night and animals gathering at the nearby lake," the website says. "There is a bus from Junagadh every morning which leaves at 8am, stays one hour at the temple, and starts on the return journey at 9:45am. But to experience the place, go by private transport and stay the night."

The webpage further says: "The high temple walls ensure your safety, and once night falls, you can watch the stars through the jungle treetops, hear lions roaming outside and experience a night in the true wilderness."

A senior forest officer said on the condition of anonymity that this practice was not acceptable as the government notification only permitted devotees to stay at Kankai temple in the night. "But the Tourism department is violating the state government notification and was promoting night stay," the forest officer said.

Priyavrat Gadhvi, a member of the State Wildlife Board, said the tourism department has to be more sensitive in the message it conveys.

"This is the second time that the department has got it wrong," he said.

"Earlier it was an advertisement asking people to race with the wild ass. Now the website asks people to spend the night in the jungle. This is exactly what we had feared would happen," Gadhvi said.

Gujarat's principal chief conservator of forests GK Sinha said they had permitted only devotees to stay as they had to spend the night at the temple to perform Pooja . "No person other than a devotee can stay at the temple in the night. We will definitely take up the matter with the tourism department," Sinha said.

Ganpat Vasava, the state's minister of tourism; and of forest and environment department, said that they had not permitted private tourists to stay at Kankai.

"They may not be aware of the rules. We will look into the matter and immediately get the rules implemented," Vasava said.