Valmikinagar, Nov. 6: New Year revellers keep your fingers crossed. The state environment and forests department has decided to renovate its tourist lodge located on the banks of Gandak near the barrage at Valmikinagar.
The department is aiming to complete the renovation by this year-end so that New Year revellers can enjoy a cosy stay at the reserve, away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
The decision to renovate the lodge was taken during the two-day (November 4 and 5) visit of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi to the reserve. The purpose of the visit was to assess the ground realities so that necessary steps could be taken for developing the VTR as a hub for eco tourism and also to take stock of the problems being faced by the field officials in managing the only tiger reserve of the state.
“A fund of Rs 23.5 lakh has been sanctioned for renovating the tourist lodge and the work is likely to be completed within two months,” Modi said.
To begin with, the management of the tourist lodge would be handed over to the VTR management. Services of local youths, recommended by the local eco development committee, would be taken for serving the tourists and in the long run, the management of the lodge would be handed over to the committee so that residents could earn from this venture.
The renovation work entails upgrading the quality of rooms as well as setting up a restaurant in the lodge so that those staying at this spot, which is on the fringes of the reserve, can get quality food of their choice.
The 13-room tourist lodge is closed for the past seven months as the lease of the private operator who was running it expired in March this year. The lease was not renewed as the service of the private operator was not satisfactory.
Modi said the department officials have been asked to prepare a proposal to purchase at least two vehicles, which would be used for taking tourists to visit the different parts of the reserve.
“The VTR management would be asked to manage this facility so that tourists can be taken for guided tours inside the reserve on these vehicles,” said the deputy chief minister, who also holds the charge of environment and forests department.
He, however, maintained that this facility would be provided by the department for few years only and once the flow of tourists to the VTR improves, local people would be asked to provide such services.
The field officials have been asked to identify certain circuits within the reserve on which tourists would be taken for a guided tour. “The identification of circuits would be done in such a way that visitors can sight the wild animals during their visit to the reserve,” Modi said.
A separate fund of Rs 45 lakh would be provided to the VTR for setting up an interpretation centre and a mini auditorium. While the interpretation centre would help tourists understand the facts related to the reserve, the mini auditorium would be used for screening wildlife-related films during the evening hours.
The VTR management has also been directed to set up temporary structures near the reserve so that those willing to stay in the wild could have some facility. As a result of this directive, the management has decided to set up six Swiss cottages near the Ganauli range at a spot which is very near to a rivulet.
