BARIPADA: An ecopark developed at Barabakhra pilgrimage site adjoining the Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually on Friday. Set up by the Hirakud wildlife division at the cost of Rs 1.76 crore, the eco-park will serve the twin purpose of providing a dedicated space to people for picnicking and help the local community eke out an alternative livelihood.
Funded by Western Odisha Development Council (WODC), the park has all amenities for picnickers and will be managed by an 11-member committee including nine women under the supervision of the wildlife division.
Barabakhra has a healthy population of chowsingha, sambar and leopard and movement of tiger has also been seen in the past. As this part of the sanctuary is connected to Chhattisgarh forest, it acts as a corridor for movement of wild animals. But at the same time, thousands of pilgrims and visitors from different parts of the state and Chhattisgarh arrive at Barabakhra every year for picnicking at the caves and waterfall, leading to plastic pollution in the wildlife habitat.
In the ecopark, visitors can now avail restaurant and drinking water facilities, toilets and parking space. It also has 10 dedicated picnic zones that can accommodate 500 people at a time. If they want to cook food, they can pay a token amount to locals and take utensils on rent and also pay them to get the area cleaned after the picnic is over. The ecopark also has a children’s park and a memorial of Veer Surendra Sai with sculptures on major incidents of his life.
DFO (Wildlife) Anshu Pragyan Das said not only the wildlife and visitors but the local community members will also benefit from the park. “From this year onwards, villagers will manage the ecopark in an eco-friendly manner and earn alternative livelihood which will further reduce their dependence on sanctuary and uplift their socio-economic status,” she said.