Bhubaneswar: Tourists visiting Odisha’s eco-tourism destinations will now be able to explore the picturesque settings on the wheels with regulated stay facilities. The Odisha Forest department will soon roll out caravan tourism at the eco tourism sites across Odisha. These will also have dedicated caravan parks.
Such facilities will come up at Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Similipal Tiger Reserve, Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Mahendragiri, Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary, Deomali hills and Bhitarkanika National Park.
The government has issued a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for caravan m
ovement. These guidelines focus on parking and tourist conduct within forest-managed eco-tourism zones. Deputy conservator of forests, wildlife, Vivek Kumar, as reported by New Indian Express, claimed that the ecological balance would remain intact.
Caravan parks have been made as designated areas meant only for temporary parking and short-duration stays. These areas will have no permanent construction. These sites cannot operate as hotels, resorts or other accommodation facilities.
As per the SoP, only four to five caravans will be allowed at a site at a time, depending on ecological sensitivity, water availability, waste management capacity and wildlife movement patterns of the area. The DFOs can put site-specific limits.
Bookings for caravan parking and associated services will be done through the Ecotour Odisha portal. Only government-approved operators with pre-registered vehicles will be allowed entry into the parks. The booking facility has been included in the Ecotour site, the officer said.