Waiting for visitors

• 1986-87: Rs 69,148
• 1987-88: Rs 67,952
• 1988-89: Rs 63,479
• 1989-90: Rs 56,462
• 1990-91: Rs 43,795

Hazaribagh, June 14: If the profit record book is anything to go by, the coffers of Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary has been shrinking with every passing year, signalling a steady decline in tourist footfall.

In fact, the situation has come to such a pass now that the park authorities no longer maintain a register. Forester Surendra Mohan Singh said at present, the sanctuary saw hardly 10 tourists a day. However, he failed to come up with a reason behind the poor response.

Situated some 17km from the district headquarters on the Ranchi-Patna highway (NH-33), the wildlife sanctuary houses different species of animals and birds. But the main attraction is the spotted deer.

A retired government officer, U.S. Prasad recalled the days when a bus used to take tourists to the park from town. “The place was so popular that it was hard to get ticket. At that time, it had all animals, including the big cat. A tiger trap inside the sanctuary was a big attraction for tourists,” he added.

Many claim that local villagers had unleashed a “reign of terror” in the area, scaring away tourists. “Incidents of snatching and eve-teasing are common in the sanctuary. Then, there is the Naxalite threat,” said a resident of the town area. He cited a rebel attack in 2003 on then chief minister Babulal Marandi.

However, forester Singh rubbished the theory, saying there was no security problem now. “Not a single case of snatching or eve-teasing has been reported here over the past few years,” he stressed.

Another forest official added that in the past six to seven years, they had launched awareness campaigns among villagers, asking them not to disturb tourists and to protect the animals. “Villagers have realised that once the tourists start coming in, they will be benefited because they can earn extra bucks,” he said.

Divisional forest officer Anil Mishra refuted the forester’s claims. He said every year, 3,000 to 4,000 tourists visit the sanctuary. “The sanctuary charges a fixed amount for four-wheelers. Entry is free for bikers. Employees at the gate ought to maintain a record of every visitor,” he added.

Mishra further said that the department had taken a numbers of steps to woo tourists — right from starting boating facility at Rajderwa lake to renovating cottages and the canteen. “There is water and generator facility too these days. We also repaired roads,” he said.

He, however, admitted that law and order was a major cause of concern. Tourists prefer to come only during the daytime, he added.

Murari Singh, the vice-president of NGO Neo Human Foundation, which works for conservation of wildlife, agreed with Singh.

Murari, who had conducted a reptile survey at the sanctuary along with wildlife activist Satya Prakash, said people wanted to see animals, but they did not have the patience to wait. “If you really want to enjoy a sanctuary, you have to have time in hand and wait for animals to come out in the open,” he said.