Tourist hotspot: Bio-diversity park comes up in Madarihat

ALIPURDUAR: Jaldapara in Alipurduar district has always been a tourist hotspot. Now the district administration has renovated a water body of that area. Christened the “Bio-Diversity Park,” it has emerged as the newfound tourist attraction in Madarihat, Alipurduar.

District Magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena stated: “As per the order of the state government, a bio diversity park has been created here by renovating the waterbody with the help of the block administration and the locals. Already tourists have started visiting this park in good numbers.” The renovation work of Sikiyajhora of Alipurduar block 2 along with the construction of another bio diversity park around a similar waterbody adjacent to the BDO office in Kumargram block are going on, added the District Magistrate.

The bio diversity park has been built on an area of about 20 bigha by renovating the Vishwakarma Jhora at a cost of around Rs. 26 lakh by the district administration. This park comprises a large number of medicinal plants, bee-keeping and boating facilities. A local Self-help group has been given the responsibility to maintain this park.

Tourists can enter the park by buying tickets. A butterfly park has also come up in the premises to preserve biodiversity. Rs 10 lakhs has been spent create manicured lawns, gardens with different types of flowering plants and trees. Different species of fish have been released in the Vishwakarma Jhora so that the local people can earn money easily. A bee keeping garden has also come up. “The park is maintained by a self-help group of.20 families of the area are already earning through this park. Since the beginning of this year the park has been drawing a lot of tourists as well as local residents. With word of mouth the popularity of this park is increasing by the day. We hope to get more visitors in the near future”, stated Madarihat Gram Panchayat Pradhan Mamni Basumata Saibo.