New Delhi : Will it soon be possible to go where few men or women have gone before ? Perhaps. In a radical shift  in mindset, the Union government is for the first time thinking of unlocking the forests for controlld tourism. No less than 23 % of the country is in forest department hands. Officials are busy readying what will be the first set of "comprehensive guidelines on ecotourism", for forests as well as national parks and sanctuaries. They hope to finalise guidelines in a few weeks, after consultations with ministries, states and other players.

These will be independent of general ecotourism guidelines prepared by the Union tourism ministry. But it's a start. At least environment ministry mandarins are opening up their minds, says a tourism ministry official.

Some of the options which could be allowed : trekking, angling, whitewater rafting, elephant rides, cycling, photo or canoeing safaris ,riding trails, rock climbing, mountaineering, paragliding, hot-air ballooning, birdwatching, skiing, camping, forest nights at abandoned rest houses, even visiting sites to see what is done to "manage" forests.

There could be stipulations on non-conventional energy use, careful water and waste management. No concrete, no cement."Low volume, low impact, locally controlled tourism to enjoy nature, generate awareness, public support and revenue," says an official.

certain areas considered "very fragile" may still be kept out of bounds but the Union environment ministry is looking to give private players the space to organise activities which bring in the much-needed funding for conservation, give local  communities work and a stake in conservation