Bantala: Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) is still struggling to come out of the jolts it suffered in the aftermath of tigress Sundari reportedly killing two people and the death of RBT Mahavir.
This time past years, there used to be a lot hustle bustle in STR as visitors would throng in large numbers to feast their eyes with natural beauties.
All these have become just things of past. The STR bears a deserted look these days as the footfall is next to nothing. Even if some come over here, they return the next moment disheartened and dejected. They feel forced to leave the place as the facilities once it had are no longer available.
Visitors’ prime attraction is the Satkosia gorge. The visit to Satkosia is said to be incomplete without exploring the serenity of this gorge.
Hence the few visitors thronging STR have a longing for sailing into the gorge. As there are no boats as it used to be in past years, these visitors are seen paying more than usual price to boatmen to make them agree to take them into the gorge in their country boats, albeit in a dangerous way.
Since the arrival of Mahavir and Sundari from Madhya Pradesh, the STR authorities had been facing stiff opposition from the local people. The last nail in the coffin was when the tigress reportedly killed a woman of Hatibari village under Purunakote police limits September 12, 2018. The already irate people vented their anger by way of setting the range office, beat house, staff quarters, four bungalows of the forest department and six boats on fire.
The loss is yet to be made good. Now there is not a single boat to ferry visitors into the gorge. It is not just affecting the STR tourism project but also going a long way affecting the government’s earning of revenue.
However the forest department has been contemplating to take some measures to bring back visitors to the sanctuary.
Sources close to the department said, “Four boats worth Rs 40 lakh are reaching Tikarpada. Satkosia forest division and forest department’s headquarters are each providing two boats. Similarly, as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, two special vehicles are to be brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve.” This apart, as the STR is lacking facilities to shift tigers or other ailing animals, following the directives of NTCA, an automatic vehicle for safe relocating of big cats is also going to be procured at a cost of more than Rs 20 lakh, the sources said.
They also revealed that a vehicle equipped with treatment facilities, medicines, tranquiliser gun and other necessary instruments has already been purchased from Kanha Tiger Reserve. This apart, for five trained elephants letters have been written to several states, it was learnt.
Additional chief conservator of forest and Satkosia field director Sudarshan Panda also confirmed it saying that special vehicles, equipment, medicines and four boats are being brought here. All these facilities are being provided by the state headquarters, he said, adding nothing more could be shared for the time being.
PNN