Road Blockade By Locals Affects Tourists’ Movement To Similipal In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada: The movement of tourists to Similipal National Park in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has been affected due to road blockade put up by the locals to press their demands.

As per reports, the people around the national biosphere reserve under the aegis of Similipal Bikash Parishad, a local outfit working for development of the area, have blocked all the roads leading to the sanctuary. Besides the activists of the Parishad, people of three panchayats have joined the protest.

Due to the blockade at Joranda Chhak, Sana Uski, Chala and Lanjighosara Chhak, the movement of tourists has been affected for the last several days.

The locals’ five-point charter of demands include improving the condition of road from Kalikaprasad Gate to Gadasimilipal, erection of mobile towers inside Similipal, a concrete bridge inside the park and road connectivity to all villages inside Similipal under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The Parishad members said they had earlier staged a road blockade in protest against negligence of the area. The officials of the local administration had assured them of resolving their problems at the time.

Stating that they again resorted to the road blockade to pressurise the administration as no step has been taken to meet their demands, they said they would continue their protest till tangible steps are taken on the issues.