The Supreme court today allowed the Centre to notify within a week its fresh guidelines on tiger conservation. A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar indicated that it may modify its July 24 order staying all tourism activities in the reserved areas across the country.

The bench, however, made it clear that the states, if aggrieved by the guidelines, are free to challenge it before the court.

The guidelines being prepared by the National Tiger Conservation Authority will be notified immediately,” Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising told the court.

The apex court on July 24 had banned all tourist activities in the core areas of tiger reserves and had extended the ban till September 27 on August 29.

While extending the ban, the bench, however, had indicated that it was not averse to permitting regulated tourist activities, subject to the Centre evolving suitable revised guidelines to protect the depleting wild cat population.

The Centre, thereafter on September 26, had placed before the court the fresh guidelines formulated for states following the apex court's interim ban.