Environment
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Indravati Tiger Reserve to reopen tourism on November 1
Hindustan Times··15 Sept
Chhattisgarh will reopen Indravati Tiger Reserve in Bijapur to organised tourism from November 1, the first such access in four decades. The reserve spans 2,799.07 sq km, with a 1,258.37 sq km core. Officials said left-wing extremism had blocked about 70 percent of the area. State figures put Indravati's tiger count at six, pending the national census.
Prism
What It Means For You
- PCCF Arun Pandey said safari vehicles and two to three tourist routes are being prepared.
- Improved security has let staff increase patrolling in previously unreachable zones.
- A recent smooth-coated otter sighting was newly recorded from the reserve, officials said.
What's Happening
- Indravati was established under Project Tiger in 1983 but stayed largely closed to visitors.
- Deputy director Sumedh Survade said LWE restricted forest staff access for years.
- An internal February-March 2025 census counted 14 to 17 wild buffaloes in the reserve.
How Indravati compares in Chhattisgarh
- The same presentation listed 18 tigers in Achanakmar and seven in Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla.
- Officials said the All India Tiger Estimation is still under way.
- NTCA figures put the buffer at 1,540.70 sq km around the core habitat.
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