KENDRAPARA: Bhitarkanika National Park will be reopened for tourists from Monday. However, only 500 tourists will be permitted to visit the park everyday. Tickets can be purchased from the authorised website, www.ecotourodisha.com and physically from the counters, said DFO of the park Bikash Ranjan Dash.
The park was closed for visitors from May 1 to July 31 during the mating and nesting seasons of saltwater crocodiles. But due to Covid-19, the Forest department extended the closure period up to October 18. “We had partially reopened the park on October 1 for only those visitors who intended to stay overnight at Dangamal Nature Camp while adhering to Covid-19 norms,” he said.
With the park now open for day visit, adequate number of forest guards have been deployed to enforce the regulations and sanitisers placed at several places in the forest. “We have renovated the guest houses, repaired the roads and other infrastructure within the park. A large number of tourists from West Bengal and other states visit Bhitarkanika during Puja holidays,” said the DFO.
The Forest department has made it mandatory for tourists to hire a local guide on their boat. Around 40 youths from nearby villages of the park have been trained as guides and they will help the tourists during their visit to the park. Eco-tourism in Bhitarkanika is a big employment generator and has a multiplier impact on the economy as it is a major contributor to employment creation particularly for women and youths, fishermen, boatmen and others.
The Forest department had counted 103 crocodile nests during this year’s nesting season of the reptiles in the park and its nearby areas. Around 3,000 baby crocodiles were born in Bhitarkanika recently.