The State government has begun insuring tourists visiting Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves against any risk or untoward incident that could jeopardise their safety.
At Bandipur the authorities have taken a public liability non-industrial policy insurance cover with a sum assured of ₹1 crore. The policy came into effect from September 23 and a premium of ₹80,000 was paid to the United India Insurance Company Ltd.
At Nagarahole, the scheme came into effect from October 4 and a premium of ₹70,000 was paid to the same insurance company.
Both Bandipur and Nagarahole are prime tiger and elephant reserves and attract around 1.25 lakh to 1.5 lakh tourists every year.
The authorities said the insurance cover was a precautionary measure and one of the initiatives of the Forest Department to cover the risks that the tourists may encounter.
The decision to extend insurance cover followed a directive issued by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar in June. This was consequent to a proposal mooted by conservation activist Giridhar Kulkarni who pointed out that it would serve the interest of tourists.
Welcoming the development, Mr. Kulkarni said insurance cover should be extended to all ecotourism sites in the State which attract tourists who take part in adventure sport activities such as trekking, kayaking, jet ski, birding, banana ride, bump ride, dolphin ride, safari, zip-ride, boat-ride, rafting etc., besides visits to waterfalls, elephant camps, and ropeways.
In most of the places adventure sport activities were run by the Forest Department itself through Jungle Lodges or Karnataka Eco Tourism Development Board and hence it would be in the fitness of things to extend the insurance cover to all places where tourists took part in adventure sporting events, said Mr. Kulkarni.
