A view of the bamboo hut at the foothills of the Dalma Ranges. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Nov. 29: The picnic season has begun and there is a new destination for picnickers this year ? the bamboo hut on the Dalma foothills.

Thrown open for tourists by the forest department, the renovated hut is all set to emerge as a prime picnic spot this winter.

One can enjoy food on the lawns or unwind under the warmth of the hut.

But, before charting out plans for a day, make sure that you reserve the hut in advance. Send your application for reserving the facility to the office of divisional forest officer (Wildlife) at Ranchi.

Charges of renting the two-bedroom furnished hut for a day is Rs 600. It also has a sitting room, toilets, kitchen and a manicured lawn.

Divisional forest officer (Wildlife) S.B. Gaikwad said the face-lift was done to attract tourists.

?The hut is ready for use, though we need to supply blankets for the winter,? said Gaikwad. He added that experts from the Bangalore-based Indian Plywood Industries, Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI) had done the renovation work.

Forest officials said there was a generator, a well to draw water from and cooking arrangements at the hut. We have tried to set up a comfortable spot for tourists and picnickers, they added.

Electricity has also been arranged, they said, adding that the entire area has been fitted with lights.

There is no need to fear chance meetings with elephants as the area has been surrounded with barbed wire. ?We are trying to install electric wire fencing around the hut to ward off elephants,? said officials.

Security of the tourists has also been taken care of. ?Forest guards and members of the eco-development committee have been posted for security of the tourists,? said officials.

Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) J.L. Srivastava said the Dalma can become a prime tourist spot.

?The hut has been done up by experts and we are quite satisfied with the results. I am sure the tourists would like it too,? said Srivastava.

According to officials of the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, the hut was renovated to boost the flow of tourists to the sanctuary.

?Earlier tourists from Calcutta, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack flocked to the sanctuary every year. They used to stay at the bamboo hut. But the numbers reduced after the hut was closed down,? said officials.