Chief Secretary directs to develop more places for eco-tourism and boating

Bhubaneswar, April 8: Eco-tourism has made a success stride in Odisha with rewarding livelihood opportunities to 600 local communities and immense benefit to the wildlife and forest conservation.  The journey started from 2016 under the trend setting guidance of Chief Secretary, Suresh Chandra Mahapatra form the time of his tenure as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Forest and Environment Department. This was known from a high level meeting held in Lokseba Bhawan today under the Chairmanship of Mahapatra in which ACS Forest and Environment Dr Mona Sharma outlined the present eco-tourism scenario in the State along with its administrative and financial contours for discussion.  Reviewing the progress, Chief Secretary Mahapatra directed the DFOs, Collectors and Engineers of Water Resource department to identify more spots having greater potential for development to eco-tourism and eco-recreation centres.  Further, Mahapatra directed officers of concerned departments to identify around 100 suitable sites in water bodies through joint enquiry for setting up of the jetties and boating facilities. The forest department was also directed to identify around 15 forest tracks for giving jungle safari experience to the tourists. Mahapatra made it clear that the locations should be identified on the basis of “objective criteria of exotic experience to the tourists, and, their competitiveness for being popularized in international market. Mahapatra added, “Proper choice of the location and their popularization will attract private investment to the sector soon, and, that will take State’s eco-tourism to next higher level”.  Chief Secretary also directed to convert the tents at eco-spots to cottages with proper fire safety precautions. He emphasized on making the ‘community management model’ more professional with appropriate training and orientation to the local community, VSS and SHG groups.  As of now 47 destinations spreading over 18 districts including important tribal areas like Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Bargarh and Nayagarh have been operationalised  in the State.  These locations have 333 cottages with accommodation capacity for 705 persons. Four spots namely Nrusinghnath in Bargarh districts, Koraput Pine Forest in Koraput, Patora Dam site in Nuapada district and Tensa in Sundargarh district are at the finishing stage for commissioning.  These spots will have night halt facility for the tourists.   Available data show a constant increase in number of visitors to the eco-destinations. It has increased from 11,500 in the year 2016 to 40,019 in the year 2019-20. Defeating the wreck caused by Covid-19, the number of tourists to eco-destinations touched 57,000 just within five months (November to March, 2021) during the FY 2020-21. The revenue earned from this activity has also increased from Rs1. 57 cr to Rs 8.32 cr during the same period.