Tension prevailed at the Bhitarkanika National Park on Sunday following a scuffle erupted between forest staffs and some drunkard tourists over passing of lewd comments at women by the latter. According to Kanika Forest Ranger Akhaya Kumar Nayak, over 3,000 tourists, including foreigners, visited the park on Sunday. Some youths, who had come from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, allegedly passed lewd comments at some college girls who were from Pattamundai, Salepur and Kendrapada areas.
Being informed, Ranger Nayak reached the spot and asked the inebriated tourists not to pass lewd comments at women and to hand over all liquor bottles to his staffs. While they refused to do so, forest staffs seized seven bottles from them. It then resulted in a scuffle between them. Nine of them were detained.The tourists had reportedly purchased the liquor bottles from the wine shop located in front of the park’s entrance gate.
It may be noted that a more intense situation had occurred on January 9, 2013 in which a group of drunkard hooligans had attacked and injured five forest personnel after being denied night-stay inside the Dangamala Crocodile Breeding and Research Center.The park authorities then closed the park for 11 days. later, they opened it for the day visitors only.
At that that time, forest officials had made an appeal to the district administration to shift the liquor shop from the near the gate.In response, the district administration assured not only to shift the liquor shop from the gate but also to shift another shop from Talachua, a kilometre from the park. Consequently, the park authorities lifted the night-stay restrictions.
Though more than two years have been passed, they are yet to be shifted. The forest officials and locals have expressed strong resentments over the inaction. When contacted, Kendrapada Excise Superintendent Purusottam Dharua said steps would be taken for shifting of the liquor shop from the park’s entrance gate if forest personnel and locals file petition in this connection.