Odisha: Boating facility at Debjharan from January
SAMBALPUR: People visiting Debjharan, which is famous for its waterfall and is a prominent picnic spot of the region, will be able to enjoy a boat ride at the beautiful spot soon.
By the end of January next year, the forest department will launch a boating facility at the reservoir that has been developed after the construction of a minor irrigation project there.
The department has sent six people from the area to Cuttack to learn how to drive a motorboat. It will also procure four boats, including an 8-seater one and three 6-seater boats, for visitors.
A Van Samrakhyana Samiti (VSS), comprising people of Talijharan and Gaielgudi villages, has been formed to manage the boat service at Debjharan. The two villages are located adjacent to Debjharan.
The visitors will be charged for the boat ride, but the amounts are yet to be finalised, said Sambalpur Sadar forest ranger, Gourisankar Das.
Debjharan is located under Jujumara block, which in the past had seen Maoist activities. With that problem no longer existing here, the footfall of tourists has gradually been increasing. A large number of people visit the place between November and January. The introduction of the boating facility is expected to increase tourist footfall, said a forest official.