Buxa walk to resume

TT, Alipurduar: The Bengal forest department has decided to reintroduce Nature Trail and increase the number of safari vehicles for tourists in Buxa Tiger Reserve.

Like other forests in north Bengal, Buxa was reopened for visitors on Sunday after three months.

"We will resume the Nature Trail - a walk that covers a stretch of 2km in Buxa. It will start from Rajabhatkhawa and tourists will be accompanied by forest guards," said Subhankar Sengupta, the field director of the BTR.

"The Nature Trail was closed for the past few years but we will resume it," he added.

The forest department has also decided to increase the number of vehicles which take tourists for safaris inside the tiger reserve. As of now, there are five Maruti Gypsies - three at Jainti and two at Rajabhatkhawa.

From Rajabhatkhawa, tourists are taken to three watchtowers through the forest. From Jainti, the vehicle take tourists to either Pukhuri Lake or Chuniajhora tea estate. Both the safaris are of 90 minutes' duration.

Sengupta said a few decisions had been taken to provide better services to visitors.

"A Tourist Facilitation Centre will be opened on premises of the Nature Interpretation Centre at Rajabhatkhawa. The new centre will have a ticket counter, sitting area, washrooms and drinking water facility. A parking area would be marked and members of the Joint Forest Management will exhibit and sell different handicrafts," said Sengupta.

The BTR will also renovate the orchidarium at the Nature Interpretation Centre.

The forest officer said tourists would be provided with bags made of jute or paper free of cost at the ticket counter. "We don't want tourists to litter plastic items in the forest. They can dispose waste in such bags," he added.

Tour operators have welcomed the move.

"We appreciate the plan and want the department to increase the number of vehicles for safaris. Another watchtower is ready in the BTR and it should be opened for visitors," said Biplab Dey, the assistant secretary of the Dooars Tourism Development Forum.