Sambalpur, Sept. 2: The hilltop of Budharaja Reserve Forest located in the heart of the city will be developed to woo tourists.

"An amount of Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for the project," said district tourist officer Rabindra Kumar Dalei.

It has been decided that a watch tower will be developed, along with parking space, musical fountain, sitting arrangements, kiosks and several other tourist amenities. "The road and building department will carry out the developments. Funds have been deposited with the district administration for this purpose," said Dalei.

The land on the hilltop, which belonged to the forest department, has been converted into non-forest land to carry out the project. "The land has been delineated," said Sambalpur town forest range officer Uttam Gadnayak.

The Budharaja Reserve Forest is one of the major tourist attractions in the city. The Budharaja temple located at the hilltop draws thousands of tourists and devotees from across the state. The road to the top from where one can get the bird's eye view of the city is also another attraction. The facelift is expected to increase footfall at the tourist destination.

"The reserve forest is the only green patch inside the city. Hundreds of tourists visit this place every day. The place will be more beautiful and attract more people after the projects materialise," said Suneel Khandelwal, a visitor.

Work on a walking track around the reserve forest and protection wall surrounding it is also under way.

The Odisha Environmental Management Fund has sanctioned Rs 3 crore for the purpose. The public works department is executing the project. While the walking track is being developed for morning-walkers, the wall is expected to protect the forest from encroachment.