Dudhwa to reopen with more facilities, less fees

Lucknow : Two new circuits -- one each in Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary and Pilibhit tiger reserve -- will be opened for tourists when the ecotourism season in Uttar Pradesh starts on November 15. The visitors will get to see different types of wildlife along the new circuits.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF wildlife), Anjani Acharya said that a 75-seater auditorium has been built in Dudhwa tiger reserve to upgrade the existing amenities for tourists.

The auditorium can be used to screen movies on wildlife or host seminars and conferences. “We have also redone interiors of the huts to match them with the international standards,” said the official.

A nature interpretation centre is yet another attraction at Dudhwa. In September, the governing body of the Dudhwa Tiger Conservation Foundation decided to reduce the entry fee and other visitor charges at Dudhwa tiger reserve to attract more visitors and also increase earnings from ecotourism.

The entry of children less than five years of age and school children will now be free at the reserve. A visitor will now be charged Rs 150 per trip to the reserve rather than Rs 300. The entry fee for rhino area for a person will be Rs 200 instead of Rs 700.

The charges for a safari vehicle will be Rs 200 per person instead of Rs 600 per person. The fee for an elephant ride inside and outside the rhino area will be Rs 500 for maximum two hours.