Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve to have overnight stay facilities: huts and camps for visitors!
Valmikinagar: according to a heartening news, it should soon be possible to stay overnight at the Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve and experience the forest through its 24 daily hour cycle. Latest reports in the press mention that the management of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) has decided to set up six eco huts for tourists who wish to enjoy extended stays in the reserve. It is planned that four huts will be constructed in the Govardhana range and two at Valmikinagar range of VTR and each hut will accommodate two persons. VTR director Santosh Tiwari said that occupants of the huts would be provided food and the catering will be outsourced to locals selected on the basis of the recommendations from the eco-development committee of the area. The selected people would be given training for serving the visitors professionally.
Notably, it is the district administration under the border area development programme that has taken the initiative to fund this project which is slated to be ready by the end of this fiscal. Rs 4 lakh would be spent to construct each hut to be designed by professionals. Since security in the Valmikinagar and West Champaran in general has been a major reason why tourists stayed away from VTR, the security for visitors will be provided by the local administration and later on the responsibility may be given to local people.
In order to encourage camping in the area, the district administration has provided around Rs 22 lakh to the VTR management for purchasing camping gear which can be rented out to tourists. For tourists with low budgets, the VTR management has sent a proposal to the environment and forests department for developing an abandoned building near the Govardhana range office into a dormitory facility. A proposal has also been sent for developing the former rest house of Bettiah Maharaj in Ganauli range into a heritage hotel. The two-storeyed building was used by the Maharaj during his visits to the forest. The special attraction here is – the Himalayan range can be seen from this rest house in winter.
[courtesy: The Telegraph]