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Monsoon Mayhem: Similipal Roads Need Major Repairs
6 Oct
Summary
- Extensive road damage requires urgent restoration of 150 km of roads.
- Seven bridges and 22 culverts also need repair before reopening.
- Damage this year is more severe than the previous year's impact.
The reopening of Similipal Tiger Reserve for tourists faces a delay because significant portions of its internal road network are in poor condition following heavy monsoon rains.
Approximately 150 km of roads, 22 medium culverts, and seven bridges require immediate restoration. This extensive damage, impacting safari routes and access roads, is more severe than that experienced last year, which also caused reopening delays.
Wildlife officials are conducting repairs using materials like stone patching, red soil, and murrum, focusing on the nearly 1,000 km of internal roads, including the 100 km designated for safaris. Despite the infrastructural challenges, anti-poaching and wildlife protection activities continue unimpeded, with authorities utilizing all-terrain vehicles for patrolling.
The reserve, spanning 2,750 sq km in the Mayurbhanj district, experienced heavy rainfall across its core and buffer zones, affecting drainage structures and roads in popular areas like Nawana North and Barehipani.
