Similipal National park Reopens for Tourists from Today

Baripada: The Similipal National Park was reopened for tourists on Saturday. It had remained closed for visitors for around during the monsoon season.

Similipal is the second-largest biosphere in Asia. According to sanctuary authorities, tourists will be allowed to enter the sanctuary between 6 am and 9 am. While 35 vehicles will be allowed through the Kaliani gate from the Jashipur side, 25 vehicles can enter the park from Lulung in Baripada side.

The visitors will have to leave sanctuary from Barehipani and Jaranda by 3 pm and Chahala by 4 pm.

This year, the sanctuary has been declared as a plastic-free area for visitors. Local Women Self Help Groups (WSHG) will provide cooked food to the tourists that will include local delicacies.

Similipal Sanctuary is famous for its tiger reserve. This dense forest area has hills, waterfalls and streams, and it houses 1076 varieties of mammals, 231 species of birds and 29 species of reptiles.