GUWAHATI: Tourists visiting Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, renowned for its dense population of one-horned rhinos, are facing difficulties due to severely damaged roads inside the park. Recent heavy rainfall has left the sanctuary’s infrastructure in poor condition, causing the cancellation of jeep and elephant safaris, much to the disappointment of visitors.
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Talking to GPlus, a tourist from Karnataka said, "We booked our trip a month in advance, excited to visit Pobitora and experience the safaris. But when we arrived, we were told that both the jeep and elephant safaris were canceled due to the road conditions and flooding caused by heavy rainfall. We had no choice but to return without seeing anything," he said. "This was my first time visiting Assam with my family, and it was really disappointing."
The sanctuary had just reopened on October 14 after being closed for the monsoon season, which runs from May to October. However, tourists were turned away as the infrastructure inside the sanctuary was still in poor shape.
Talking to GPlus, a senior forest official explained that despite reopening, safaris could not operate due to severe damage to the roads caused by the recent heavy rains.
"Because of the heavy rainfall, the roads inside the sanctuary get badly damaged. Our roads are not made of bitumen, so they don’t hold up well under such conditions," the official told GPlus.
The official further highlighted that the issue was compounded by misleading hotel bookings. "Some tourists had booked hotels through fraudulent websites that claim to sponsor entire trips to Pobitora. These tourists were not informed about the situation with the safaris and were left frustrated when they arrived," he explained.
Despite the setbacks, authorities have since reopened the jeep safari services on October 14, but the elephant safaris remain closed. "This is not just a problem at Pobitora," the official added. "Most wildlife sanctuaries in Assam are facing similar issues due to the floods."
