Paradip, July 31: The state forest department has procured four improvised boats worth Rs 4 crore for safe and comfortable movement of tourists in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary water bodies.
The national park will reopen tomorrow for tourists after a 60-day shutdown.
The multi-hulled vessels have been procured under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme’s Rs 4 crore funding. These have been obtained from a Goa-based craft-manufacturing company following a global tender. Each of these trendy vessels has accommodation capacity of 20 tourists. Besides comfort, the eco-friendly vessels are equipped with foolproof safety mechanism, said officer of the Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division Kedar Kumar Swain.
The national park had been closed for tourists and visitors to ensure disturbance-free annual nesting of crocodiles. Every year, such restrictions are clamped as the reptiles turn violent and restive over human interference in their habitats.
The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its saltwater crocodiles, resident and migrant avian species and huge varieties of mangrove species. Besides, millions of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles turn up at the Gahirmatha beach every year for mass-nesting. As many as 1,644 crocodiles were enumerated in the national park this year.
The restriction on entry to the park was clamped on May 31 and it was lifted on July 31, said the official.
“We receive about 50,000 tourists a year. Our emphasis is to ensure safe and comfortable sojourn of visitors, who throng here in a large number to savour warmth of eco-system and unique environs of the wetlands. The luxury vessels introduced by the forest department are the latest attractions for tourists,” said an official.
In another development, national park authorities have banned the movement of private boats, which are devoid of life jackets and other safety gadgets for tourists. The boats and vessels that are owned by the department are all endowed with safety equipment. However, nearly 50 private mechanised crafts, which were on the job of carrying the tourists towards the wetland spots and mangrove sites of the national park, are found wanting in the safety mechanism.
“Directions had been issued to the operators to abide by the safety guidelines. But, they are yet to comply with the order for which they have been barred from operating in the water bodies within the national park,” said Swain.
On any given day, 350 to 400 tourists make voyage on water bodies by boats. There would be no compromise on the safety aspect. The department is intent of ensuring the safety of the travellers, he said.
The forest department would confer the licence permit only to those boats, which would have safety gadgets, eco-friendly and less-noise-generating machine and insurance cover.
The Rajnagar block development officer had been requested to recheck the fitness of the operational boats. However, the authorities are yet to report compliance report to the forest department, said an official.