The Bengal government has introduced strict restrictions on tourist boat movement inside the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve during the festive season, capping the number of vessels allowed daily to protect the fragile mangrove ecosystem and its wild ambience.
Reserve authorities have limited boat entries to 120 per day from September 15 and made it mandatory for operators to submit the names and details of all tourists in advance.
An online booking system has been introduced, with permissions issued through one-time passwords sent to the operators’ registered mobile numbers. Bookings are confirmed only after entering the OTP into the official system.
Permits to enter the reserve used to be obtained earlier from the field director’s office in Canning, as well as at Sonakhali, Bagna, and Sajnekhali, on payment of entry, boat, camera, and other fees. Inside the reserve, launches and boats remain the only means of transport. Tourists usually avail of trips organised by private tour operators or the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation.
Local sources said that earlier, about 200 boats sought entry into the delta during the tourist season, but the new system almost halved the number.
“Under the new system, only 120 boats are being allowed through online booking to ensure the security and safety of the tourists as well as avoiding the delta being overcrowded with tourist boats,” said an official of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve.
“At the same time, this has been done to prohibit unscrupulous tour operators who often cheat tourists, taking bookings but providing no service eventually. We were unaware of such bookings or the number of tourists being cheated. But this time, every detail is required to be provided by the operators.”
Under the rules, operators can only take bookings according to the approved carrying capacity of their vessels. No boat with a modified structure beyond official sanction will be allowed entry, an official said.
If the number of tourists on a given day varies, entries may be rectified by up to 20 per cent of the capacity, and that too only once.
The restrictions have, however, drawn criticism from boat operators, who say the new system is causing significant losses during the peak season.
Sekendar Mondal, a Sundarbans tour operator, said: “Capping the number of boats entering Sundarbans has created a financial crisis for people associated with the trade. There are about 200 boats which see entry to the delta, particularly during the festive season. Under the new system, at least 60 to 80 boats are being denied entry daily because of the restrictions on the number of vessels."
"A large number of people wait eagerly for the tourist season that begins in September every year. But this year, bad weather coupled with new prohibition and capping will make things difficult for many boat owners," he added, urging the government to consider the problem and find a solution.
The fresh curbs come just ahead of the festive rush, which typically begins with the hilsa festivals in the delta, where several tourist organisations promote attractive packages of lodging and dining aboard boats. This year, however, all such packages are under strict monitoring by the tiger reserve authorities.