Baripada: Similipal National Park will remain out of bounds for tourists and wildlife lovers on Sunday due to sudden unseasonal rains for the last two days.
Deputy Director of Similipal, Saikiran, announced the closure of tourist entry through the Kalika Prasad and Pithabata gate, citing bad road condition caused by intermittent rain.
The park has two entry points – one in Pithabata range under Baripada forest division and the other in Kalikaprasad under Jashipur block.
The decision to close the gate was made to avoid potential risks to tourists, as over 400 km of roads inside the park had become muddy and treacherous. Although the district administration and Forest department have started working on improving road safety within the park, the work is still in its initial stages.
This closure is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of visitors, as the park’s road connectivity becomes highly unpredictable and often dangerous during heavy rains
