Cottages at the eco spot in Garuchira. File picture

Alipurduar, Nov. 4: More people seem to have discovered this season the beauty of Garuchira tucked away in the Bhutan foothills, the forest department has claimed.

The picturesque village on the foothills of Bhutan with its serene environment and lush green fields has attracted a lot of tourists recently and the department is already thinking of expanding its infrastructure.

“Garuchira is a comparatively lesser known spot in the Dooars. Off late, the beauty of the place has attracted a lot of visitors and we are getting hundreds of enquiries and requests for bookings every week. In the current season, which started before Durga Puja and will continue up to December, all the three cottages at Garuchira eco spot are booked till the end of this month,” Kalyan Das, the divisional forest officer of Jalpaiguri, said.

The eco spot was developed by the forest department last year on a plot of land donated by the villagers.

The facility has three cottages and each of them can accommodate three persons at a time.

The eco spot has a watchtower, a children’s park and an artificial tank where ornamental fish have been kept.

“Considering the trend of enquiries, we have thought of increasing the accommodation. We will construct two more cottages and five tents would also come up for the tourists,” said Das.

Garuchira in Birpara-Madarihat block of Jalpaiguri district is 80km from Alipurduar town.

“From Garuchira, tourists can trek for around 10km through the forests to reach the Bhutan hills. They can also visit the cement factory at Gomtu in Bhutan, 5km from the village, and a nearby monastery. There is a Kali temple in Makrapara near Gomtu. One can also hire a car and visit Jaldapara sanctuary for a day,” said a forest official.

He added that local youths act as guides for tourists on their trips.

Residents of Garuchira are hopeful that the spot will develop once the flow of tourists increases.

“This year, a large number of visitors came to Garuchira and more people are coming everyday. We hope to earn good revenue this time. It would help us a lot if the road that leads to Garuchira is repaired and drinking water is made available in the area (tourists are given mineral water in the eco spot). There is solar light in the cottages but in future, electricity should be supplied,” Rabilal Kakati, a resident of the village, said.

According to the divisional forest officer, the department had earned a revenue of Rs 48,000 as room rent during the period from November to March.

“This year, we have earned a similar amount between April and August. As all the places are booked this season it seems the the total earnings in the current fiscal will be around Rs 2 lakh. Revenue also comes from a restaurant in the eco spot that is run by the villagers,” he said.