The Baleswar forest division has developed an ecotourism project in the Kuldiha sanctuary in order to provide accommodation to the tourists desiring to avail it.
The project has been made in Gohirabholo in the buffer region of the sanctuary. Under Rs 98 lakh project, the department has so far erected four tents and other facilities, including wash rooms and kitchens. Each tent would accommodate two persons.
Besides tents, the department has constructed a watchtower and for safety against wild animals attack trenches and solar fencing have been made. The water service while is provided round the clock through bore well, the electricity demand is made through solar panels.
Currently the forest authorities of Baleswar provides night staying facilities in a patch, having four tent houses, inside the core area of Kuldhia sanctuary which is about 8 km far from the entry gate .
The objective of the department is to close the tent house facility in the core area and open the new facility round the year.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Harsh Bardhan Udgata said, “The objective is to close the core area stay facility so as to keep the wildlife free from human movement disturbances. Although the total project cost is Rs96 lakh, so far Rs30 lakh has already been spent. five tented accommodation would be created subsequently.”
“In each bed one has to pay Rs1,500. Most likely the facility in new place would be opened by 15 of this month,” he said, adding the facility would be opened to the tourists round the year unlike the other one in the core area of the sanctuary.
“One can see herds of elephants near salt pits during morning and evening time, apart from other species of wild animals near the water tanks,” said range officer laxman Pradhan .
Notably, Kuldhia is connected to the Simlipal Sanctuary via Natu, Satkosia and Hathgarh. The sanctuary is having various floras such as Sal , Asan , Kurmal and Bandhan while it houses animals like leopards, elephants , deer, and other threatened species such as porcupine, bison and pangolin. Big pythons too are found in the sanctuary that spreads in an area of 272.4 sqkm.