Sambalpur: With a total footfall of over 27,000 visitors from different parts of India and the state as well as different European countries, South Africa, California and Sydney, ecotourism in Debrigarh sanctuary of Sambalpur district has earned the ‘highest-ever’ revenue of Rs 2.5 crore in the last financial year (April 2022 to March 2023), DFO Anshu Pragyan Das of Hirakud wildlife division said Friday. Over 6,000 visitors opted for night stay at Nature Camp inside the sanctuary.
“Around 5-10% of them were foreigners and 50% were from Odisha itself. The island safari package ‘Hirakud Cruise & Island Odyssey’ has been popular mostly among local tourists. Adventure activities like jungle trekking with eco guides, bird watching, kayaking, and cycling was equally sought-after. More than 12,000 visitors toured the Jungle Safari in the sanctuary and sighted sambar herds, bison herds, deer, bear, and wild boar. Peacocks foraging together is a common sight on forest roads in the tourism zone,” she said.
According to animal territories, the Jungle Safari trail has been divided into seven zones for facilitating photographers. Leopard sighting is also almost guaranteed at the forested shores of Hirakud reservoir. For the first time in Odisha, visitors saw a Royal Bengal Tiger thrice in the months of December and January marking its territory near the Nature Camp and entry gate of Debrigarh, she added. Never before a tiger has been directly sighted by tourists in Odisha.
Last year’s revenue was Rs 1.5 crore with 16,000 visitors from all over India and abroad, she added. Livelihood from Debrigarh Ecotourism As many as five villages and more than 45 families are engaged in ecotourism activities in Debrigarh. They are managing the Nature Camp with night stay facility and also working as drivers of safari vehicles, boatmen, gatemen and ecoguides besides working in souvenir shops, and restaurants. The fishermen’s families staying temporarily at Bat Island are also a part of the boating packages. Jungle Safari is for 2.30 hours and boating is for 1.30 hours.
More than 2,500 visitors have availed of boating facilities in Hirakud Wetland. Strict regulations and safety measures are followed by safari and boat drivers and the sanctuary closes by 6 pm. Nature Education programmes like ‘Storytelling sessions’ and ‘Spider Talks’ are also regularly organised for children and youth.
Odisha’s ecotourism model has emerged as a good livelihood option for the forest-dependent communities as 90 per cent of revenue generated goes to villagers managing it in the form of their wages, recurring expenses, and infrastructure maintenance and also for the development of villages. Debrigarh tourism zone is managed as a plastic-free zone by the locals. From reception centre to night stay facilities, the managing villagers are well-trained and have learned to speak and understand different languages. This year, 11 Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) from villages around Debrigarh were also engaged in ecotourism activities.
As the majority of women folks venture into forests for daily requirements of firewood, bamboo, and other articles, engaging them in alternative livelihood in ecotourism activities has benefitted wildlife conservation immensely