Keonjhar: Not long ago, tourists enjoyed movement of elephants from a watchtower at Jandijoda under Bhuyan and Juanga Pidhi ranges in Keonjhar district. But it is no longer so. For, the structure is in a dilapidated state due to lack of maintenance and repair by the authorities. Another watchtower at Kudia Ghati hill is also in a bad shape in the absence of a proper approach road. All this has taken a toll on local tourism.
According to reports, the forest department set up the watchtower in 2003 to help tourists enjoy sightings of elephants and other wildlife coming to the river Baitarani for drinking water. That apart, tourists also enjoyed the sylvan setting and scenery of Baitarani meandering its way through the forest.
The State Medicinal Plant Board set up a garden of medicinal plants over five acres near the river, spending lakhs of rupees. However, this project is also in tatters. A large number of medicinal and herbal plants were raised at the nursery and supplied to various parts of the district.
However, due to lack of care and maintenance, the number of valuable plants is shrinking.
The herbal plants used to be handy for local apothecaries. “Tourists from outside visited the place. The garden is closed for two years as no tourist turns up here these days. Many used to stay during nights and enjoyed nocturnal beauty of the place,” Purandar Palei, who is-in-charge of the garden, said.
He stated that scores of herbal pants were in the garden as they were part of the afforestation drive.
The watch tower in Kudia Ghati is in a sorry state. The road leading to the tower is overrun with bushes and wild creepers. As a result, tourists fail to use the watchtower even though it was near NH-49.
Nature lovers and ecologists demand immediate steps to restore the watchtowers. “Watch towers should be repaired to give a boost to local tourism,” said Bimbadhar Behera. PNN
