Jamshedpur, March 5: After a gap of almost a year the scenic Dalma wildlife sanctuary finally reopened. Due to the pandemic the hub of tourists was closed. It has reopened and tourists can now book accommodations.
Following outbreak of corona, Dalma management had told tourists to go home after the state government’s ordered to close public places. The authorities also stopped any type of further bookings.
An official confirmed the reopening but said bookings would be accepted as per Covid protocols in view of the pandemic. ” We have also introduced restrictions on bookings. We would accept few bookings for accommodations. Social distancing will be followed less number of guests would be allowed inside the cafeteria at Makulakocha. Same criteria will be applicable for accommodations at mud house, also in Makukalocha, and residential quarters near Pinderbera forest guest house,” he informed.
He went on to inform that tourists will have to adhere to necessary Covid-related norms like social distancing and use of face masks. ” We will also ensure thermal screening of tourists at the entrance itself. Sanitisers would also be available at the entrance as well as accommodations and cafeteria. We do not want to invite any risk so are taking steps to follow the directives with utter seriousness,” a Dalma official said.
Dalma sprawls over an area of 193 square kilometres and houses 85 villages inside the enclave and 51 villages in its periphery. Dalma is frequently visited by people of Odisha and Kolkata. In fact a large number of foreigners also visited Dalma last year.
Notably Dalma is the best elephant habitat of Jharkhand, where the pachyderms love to spend their summer. Dalma used to be pleasing with temperatures less than 30 degrees C. The availability of water during summer is all the more alluring for the elephants to migrate. There are over 80 elephants in the Dalma sanctuary. The elephants often have the tendency to go into agricultural fields adjoining the sanctuary in search of food. The forest department has made arrangements to keep them anchored in Dalma, by providing water and greenery.
Inaugurated by late Sanjay Gandhi in 1975, the sanctuary is 10 kms from the city, to the north of Subarnarekha River. About 6 km from east to west, the sanctuary extends over 193 sq km into the thick forests of the Dalma mountain range, which rise to 3000 ft. Accessible by road, Dalma is famous for its herds of wild elephants, barking deer, sloth bears, leopards, porcupines and tigers.
