The site of the eco-tourism spot in North Poro. (Anirban Choudhuri)

Alipurduar, Jan. 14: The forest department has decided to develop an eco-tourism spot at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, where eight men had died in encounters with forest guards over timber smuggling in the past five years.

Villagers said most of the men of North Poro earn a living by smuggling and efforts by the department to stop the malaise earlier had come to naught.

Last month, the villagers urged BTR field director R.P. Saini to put in place an income-generating scheme. Following the talks, the North Poro Forest Protection Committee was formed with 165 families.

“The villagers have hardly any source of earning and so they have been turning to timber smuggling. They pointed to a seven-hectare plot of degraded forestland on the banks of the Poro where picnickers come from around the area. We have decided to develop an eco-tourism spot there,” Saini said. The area will be developed as a nature study-cum-picnic spot. An arboretum, to be done by planting different species of trees that are found in the Buxa jungles, will be one of the main attractions.

“We will also set up a butterfly park and introduce boating and rafting on the Poro river. I have contacted the Indian Military Training Team, (an army unit) based in Jaigaon, to train the local people in adventure sports. We will develop the place within the next three months but there will be no concrete structure.”

Chandre Rava, the president of the forest committee, is happy with the decision. “Eight smugglers of our area had been killed in the last five years. We have asked the officials to arrange for a source of income for us so that we are not dependent on the forest. We are happy that they have come up with a good scheme,” he said.