Tourists visiting the scenic Dalma elephant sanctuary can look forward to having a guided tour from next month onwards.
Work at the information kiosk at Makulakocha is underway on a war footing and the facility will be thrown open for the tourists next month. The Rs 40-lakh information kiosk is part of the eco tourism project of the state forest department.
Nearly 90 per cent of work is complete. Only finishing touches are required to be given before the facility is made available to the tourists," said Dalma range officer (West) Dinesh Chandra.
Electricity is also in place at the facility which, because of its look, is set to become yet another major attraction at the sanctuary.
The information kiosk is a wooden structure with a resting hall for the tourists. Entry tickets will be sold from the kiosk. The hall has been furnished and has toilets. Visitors at the elephant abode, 30 km from Jamshedpur, can buy tickets and also have the much-needed rest inside the hall.
"The effort is to provide ample space and comfort to tourists, including those from Jharkhand, Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, before they undertake a tour of the 192 sq km sanctuary," a forester said on condition of anonymity.
Brochures having details of the flora and fauna, animals and water bodies as well as the Shiva temple within the sanctuary will be made available to the tourists for whom Dalma sanctuary is one of the favourite getaways.
Visitors can also visit the museum which should also open next month. It is located adjacent to the information kiosk.
"The museum, which is being refurbished, should also open for tourists next month. Tiles have already been fixed and painting is underway. But for rains, the facility would have been opened last month itself," the forester added.
Tourists spend time at AC and non-AC accommodations as well mud houses at Makulakocha and quarters at the entrance of Pinderbera forest guest house atop the hill. Water bodies, including Badka Bandh, Majhla Bandh and Nichla Bandh are situated near the Pinderbera forest guest house. Tourists venture to the water bodies and watch the elephants at their playful best.