Flood-hit Dudhwa National Park to reopen next week

LAKHIMPUR (UP): Flood-ravaged Dudhwa National Park will be thrown open to tourists next week after extensive repairs of bridges and forest routes in the reserve.

The park, which suffered extensive damage in the October floods and was subsequently closed, will reopen on November 15.

Repair of the damaged bridges and forest routes inside the park would soon be completed to facilitate the tourists, Field Director Shailesh Prasad said.

The park houses big cats, swamp deer, hog deer, barking deer besides nearly 500 species of birds including Bengal Florikan, Swamp Partridge, Sparrow hawk etc.

Tourists facilities particularly kitchen services at Sonaripur, Sathiyana, Bankati and Kishunpur rest-houses are being improved, he said, adding that for the first time tourists in Dudhwa would be able to enjoy wildlife movies at the recently-built auditorium.

Deputy Director of the Park PP Singh said the unprecedented floods in Mohana, Soheli and Nagra rivers caused damage to the bridge connecting Sathiyana, the natural abode of swamp deer and tigers, due to which an alternate route through Dhola and Gajraula has been developed to take tourists to Sathiyana.

A Nature Interpretation Center, the first such center in the state has been set up in Dudhwa, where tourists would be briefed about the reserved through audio-visual means.

Nearly 7000 tourists visited the Dudhwa National Park including Kishunpur Sanctuary last year. Wildlife lovers feel the number may swell if the park infrastructure is improved.