Officials make a mockery of ecotourism at Ghora Katora in Bihar

GHORA KATORA, Rajgir: Former CM Nitish Kumar’s dream to develop Ghora Katora in Rajgir as Bihar’s lone ecotourism site is likely to be shattered. While dedicating this site to tourists on January 29, 2011, he had set an example by travelling 6.5km on a ‘tonga’ to reach the site on the inaugural day as vehicles were banned on that route.
On Tuesday, however, a sizeable number of official SUVs, tractor and motorcycle were found plying on the ‘kachchi’ road violating the clear guidelines of the forest department not to allow any diesel or petrol-run vehicle/mobike in the area which has already been declared pollution /smoke/polythene-free zone.
An official vehicle of the state water resources department (WRD) bearing registration number BR 21J 9991 was seen parked at the lake site on Tuesday noon. The person in charge of the vehicle was the executive engineer of WRD in Biharsharif, Shailesh Kumar.
“I am on deputation here with the permission of the DM. I am on special duty,” Kumar told TOI. Though he was aware about the ban of official vehicle at this site, he did not bother to hire local tonga or rickshaw, the only mode of transportation to visit the lake.
“Why are you asking me? Yesterday, IG sahib, DSP sahib, secretary and mantriji had also visited this place by their official vehicles. How can we move? We cannot travel on tonga on official duty,” Kumar clarified.
Both the local tourism department security staff posted at the lake, C L Yadav, and sub-inspector Anil K Singh (who is on deputation) confirmed the plying of motor vehicles near the lake. “This place is not safe for officials to travel on a tonga because of the Maoist threat. The lake is surrounded by hilly mountains and dense forest,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
The Bihar military mounted police force was found patrolling near the lake on the eve of the New Year. Krishna Murari Singh, havildar, admitted that a large number of tourists, both local and outside, visit this lake during New Year celebration. “We are taking extra precautions,” Singh said. The local tourists are a harassed lot. They had to pay Rs 600 to book a tonga for a to-and-fro journey. “If I am travelling alone, no tongawalla will take me to the lake. So, it is the monopoly of local tongawalla,” said a visitor from Durgapur in West Bengal.
A trader from Howrah, Achin Adak, who was travelling with six of his family members, were excited to see the beauty of this lake.
“I am very happy to visit here. Its natural beauty is unique. Riding a tonga is also a good experience,” Adak said.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the overall development of Ghora Katora. CM Jitan Ram Manjhi recently said his government was committed to making a unique ecotourism site in the country. “A concrete road on the 6.5km stretch from the base of Shanti Stupa to Ghora Katora has been planned. The government is planning to ply battery-operated vehicles to the lake for the tourists’ convenience,” said a senior Bihar government official.
The entire area remains littered with polythene bags, empty chips packets, cans of cold drinks and saches of toxic gutka and empty cigarette packets.