Buxa Tiger Reserve to remain closed for tourists on Tuesdays

MP | 21 Mar 2023 | ALIPURDUAR: Jungle Safari and trekking activities will remain closed every Tuesday inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar. An order dated March 15, 2023 issued by Debal Ray, Chief Wildlife Warden of the West Bengal Wildlife department, stated: “For long term sustainability and wellbeing of the Tiger Reserve, it is desirable to close the Tiger Reserve to tourists one day a week. 

Weekly closure is being practiced in all other major Protected Areas of the state and country. It is hereby ordered that the Buxa Tiger Reserve will remain closed to tourists every Tuesday w.e.f 1 April 2023.” 

The Buxa Tiger project has been open to tourists on all seven days of the week till now. However, the National Tiger Conservation Authority - the country’s coordinating organization for tiger conservation, has ordered it to be closed once a week for tourist activities. 

The organisation has issued a directive clearly informing the State Forest Department that, like all other tiger projects in the country, all types of tourism activities and jungle jeep safaris will have to be closed one day in a week in the Buxa Tiger project. 

Apurba Sen, the Field Director of Buxa Tiger Reserve, said: “Although all types of tourism activities in the forest will be suspended every Tuesday of the week as per the directive, the residents of the forest villages and the Buxa hills under the Buxa Tiger Reserve can move around. All emergency services will also be exempted from this rule.” 

Shubhajyoti Basu, a homestay owner stated: “If the ban on all kinds of tourism and jeep safaris is implemented every Tuesday of the week in the Buxa Tiger project, like the country’s other tiger reserves then we will have no other option than to comply with the directive. We have to inform visitors accordingly.” 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/buxa-tiger-reserve-to-remain-closed-for-tourists-on-tuesdays-512434