Simlipal attracts international tourists
At least 36 tourists, including two Israeli couples, responded to the call of the verdant forests of Simlipal in Odisha and its unmatched variety of flora and fauna, and cascading waterfalls, on the first day of the opening of the tourism zone of the reserve.
The Israeli couples were Menachem Atzmon, Easter Feige Atzmon, Yoav Efron and Dalia Efron, said Deputy Director of Simlipal Tiger Rerserve (STR) Bikas Ranjan Das. Das said in another case two foreign tourists from England have reserved their accommodation with an outsourced agency at the Ramtirtha complex for their proposed visit to Simlipal .If this trend continues, there is likely to be an encouraging rise in the tourists inflow in Simlipal, he said.
The opening of the Tourists' bungalows at Gudgudia and Jamuani for night halt will take nearly one week more for some on-going repair works. Once this is done, the tourist inflow in Simlipal will increase, forest officials said. The tourism zone of the Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR) was reopened after Odisha Forest Minister Debiprasad Mishra approved the proposal for day tourism. This is for the second time that the state government has taken the decision for reopening the Park for day tourism only.
The first day tourism season was opened on December 22, 2010. During the last tourism season after reviewing the security aspects, the state government allowed the reopening of the reserve for day tourism only on December 22, 2010. The day tourism policy was visualized after the Maoists' rampages in Simlipal on March 28, 2009 and again in the first week of April the same year. STR Field Director Anup Kumar Nayak said the department is trying to improve the situation by providing good accommodation with night halt facility for the tourists in Gudgudia and in Jamuani located in the buffer zone of the STR.
Official sources said altogether sixty vehicles carrying visitors will be allowed to enter the tourism zone of the reserve either from Jashipur or from Pithabata entry points of the Park before 0900 hours. While twenty vehicles shall be allowed to enter through Pithabata, the rest forty vehicles will be allowed to enter through Jashipur with valid permits. Each of them must return from the Park before 1700 hours.
Source:uni
