Similipal Tiger Reserve to remain closed for tourists from June 12

STR Field Director Prakash Chandra Gogineni in a notification said that the exact date of reopening will be notified and published later.

Baripada: The Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district will remain closed for tourists from June 12 to September 30 in view of the monsoon, an official notification said on Friday.

STR Field Director Prakash Chandra Gogineni in a notification said that the exact date of reopening will be notified and published in daily newspapers later.

"However the ecotourism complex Jamuani, Gurgudia, Kumari, Barehipani and ltamtirtha shall remain open for visitors," the notification said.

Officials said that the entry of tourists to the reserve forest is prohibited from mid-June every year during the rainy season as road connectivity to various locations inside the sanctuary gets disrupted. The national park, a major tourist destination of Odisha, usually reopens from the first week of November.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the southwest monsoon may arrive in South Odisha in the next 2-3 days.