More than 9K visit Karnala sanctuary since reopening

The sanctuary, which saw close to 10,000 visitors per month before the pandemic, has now become the much sought-out destination due to its proximity to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad

More than 9,000 tourists visited the Karnala bird sanctuary in Panvel within a month after it was thrown open to the tourists despite trains and buses not operational for the common people.

Visitors at Karnala bird sanctuary on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

The sanctuary, which saw close to 10,000 visitors per month before the pandemic, has now become the much sought-out destination due to its proximity to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

After remaining shut for nearly eight months, the Karnala bird sanctuary was reopened on November 12. Since then, the sanctuary has received an overwhelming response. Tourists choose to visit in their private vehicles as trains are not operational for the common man.

The number of tourists noticeably goes up on Saturdays and Sundays. Pradeep Chavan, range forest officer of the bird sanctuary, said, “We believe that after staying at home for a long time, people want to spend some time amidst nature, and that too without travelling much. People from Mumbai and its peripheries can come to this bird sanctuary and return in a day. Thus, it has become an ideal destination from the entire region.

“Normally, around 10,000 tourists visit the sanctuary in a month during this time of the year. Since the local trains are not for all, and also there are several other restrictions, 9,084 is a huge number of us,” he said.

The Karnala bird sanctuary is located along the Mumbai-Goa highway, around 10km away from Panvel city. According to the authorities, around 134 species of birds including many migratory ones are present in the sanctuary. Three rare birds – Ashy Minivet, three-toed kingfisher and Malabar Trogon – are spotted here.

Chavan said, “We are following all safety and hygiene measures at the sanctuary as directed by the government. Our officials are checking the body temperature of the tourists before allowing them in. We have kept hand sanitizer at the main entrance and using it is compulsory for all. No one is allowed inside the sanctuary without wearing a mask.

“Our sanitation workers clean the washrooms twice a day from Monday to Friday. On weekends, they clean them thrice a day as more people visit,” another forest official said.

Three local self-help groups are operating a cafeteria inside the sanctuary. “It is compulsory for them to wear face masks and gloves and to sanitize the plates before serving the customers,” the official said.

Raju Mumbaikar, an animal lover from Uran who visited the bird sanctuary last week, said, “The officials have maintained the bird sanctuary well and are also following the rules to stop the spread of Covid. No one is allowed to feed the monkeys. This rule was there even before the pandemic, but some people violated it. Now, they are strictly warning the tourists not to do it. They have even stationed their officials at different places to keep a tab on the tourists.”