After dropping plan for highway, Bihar pushes for tourism project in Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary

Bihar is proposing a large tourism cluster inside Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary. The plan combines accommodation, recreation, wellness and event facilities. It matters because the site is protected land, where commercial construction faces statutory restrictions and a Supreme Court order.

The tender lists a helipad, 104 cottages, 12 tree-houses, a restaurant, cafe, spa, viewing decks, shops, banquet facilities and an auditorium. The auditorium could host weddings, functions and conferences. Buildings may be two or three storeys. Four locations would have different themes, including hospitality, adventure, wellness, safari and nature activities.

The tender also allows developers to propose more commercial elements, such as glamping, entertainment and convention spaces, subject to approvals. Bihar Eco Tourism Development Society issued the tender on October 16, with bids closing November 30. Whether construction proceeds will depend on required environmental, forest and wildlife permissions.

The project is substantial in both land area and duration. The tender covers 12.9 acres inside Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and proposes approximately Rs 62.87 crore in investment. It would give an operator a long 60-year concession, making the proposal more than a short-term tourism experiment.

The land is divided into 6.3 acres belonging to the tourism department and 6.6 acres described as other government land. The four proposed locations are Bhimbandh, Belatand, Chormara and Bhatta Kol. They would host hospitality, adventure, wellness, farming, artisan, safari and nature-related activities.

The Bihar Eco Tourism Development Society issued the tender on October 16. Bids were scheduled to close on November 30. The scale and length of the concession make statutory permissions especially important, because ownership by government departments does not remove sanctuary protections or guarantee construction rights.

A wildlife sanctuary is a notified protected area where wildlife and habitat receive legal protection. The article describes Bhimbandh as a sanctuary spanning roughly 682 square kilometres across three Bihar districts. Its protected status matters because activities and construction inside it are controlled by conservation law.

Ordinary government-owned land does not automatically carry the same sanctuary restrictions. But the proposed site remains inside notified sanctuary boundaries, even though 6.3 acres belong to the tourism department and 6.6 acres are other government land. The article specifically notes that ownership does not exempt the land from the Wild Life (Protection) Act.

Existing rights may continue inside a sanctuary, but they do not create unrestricted construction rights. Therefore, Bihar cannot treat the project as ordinary public land development. The proposed facilities must still follow applicable forest, wildlife and environmental requirements before construction can proceed.

Construction inside a sanctuary can affect protected wildlife, habitat and the area’s conservation purpose. For that reason, the Wild Life (Protection) Act distinguishes necessary sanctuary works from commercial development. The article says tourist lodges, including government lodges, hotels and safari parks require prior approval from the National Board for Wildlife.

The tender proposes cottages, a helipad, hospitality facilities, safari activities, event spaces and other commercial components. These are not automatically permitted merely because some land is government-owned. The Supreme Court has also restrained construction in wildlife sanctuaries until further orders, adding another legal barrier.

The tender is unclear about who must secure permissions. One provision makes BETDS responsible for environmental and conservation permits. Schedule E assigns applicable environmental, forest and wildlife clearances to the private developer. Officials say construction may begin where clearances are unnecessary, while other work waits for permissions.

The Supreme Court’s order creates a direct constraint on the Bhimbandh proposal. In February 2023, it restrained authorities from undertaking construction within tiger reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries until further orders. This means a tender alone cannot establish a right to build inside Bhimbandh.

The court later permitted certain maintenance works requested by Uttarakhand, but warned against unnecessary construction under that permission. The Bhimbandh tender, by contrast, proposes new commercial facilities, including cottages, a helipad, a spa, shops and an auditorium. Those plans could therefore require close examination rather than automatic approval.

BETDS project director Nesamani K said work could start in areas that may not need clearances, while other parts would wait for processed permissions. The order could consequently delay, narrow or prevent parts of the 12.9-acre project. The article does not state that final approvals have been granted.

The Bihar Forest Department is the key state authority in the proposal. The Bihar Eco Tourism Development Society, or BETDS, operates under that department and issued the tender. The department’s chief conservator of forests and BETDS project director, Nesamani K, explained how officials viewed the clearances.

The tourism department owns 6.3 acres of the proposed site. Another 6.6 acres is described as other government land. BETDS proposes handing some land to the developer, potentially with necessary permissions. The private developer would then develop and operate the tourism cluster under the proposed 60-year concession.

Responsibility for approvals is not settled clearly in the tender. One clause assigns environmental and conservation permits to BETDS. Schedule E says the private developer must obtain applicable environmental, forest and wildlife clearances at its own cost. The Forest Department would still oversee the protected-area framework and required permissions.

Building commercial tourism infrastructure in a protected area can increase the intensity of human activity and construction within wildlife habitat. The Bhimbandh proposal includes accommodation, events, shops, wellness facilities, a helipad and safari-related activities. Buildings may reach two or three storeys, creating a substantial physical footprint.

The law limits such development because a sanctuary is protected by status, not just by who owns its land. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, commercial tourist lodges, hotels and safari parks require National Board for Wildlife approval. Existing rights do not create unrestricted construction rights, and government ownership is not an exemption.

The immediate result could be delay, redesign or refusal of parts of the project if permissions are not secured. BETDS says construction may begin only in areas that do not require clearances. The tender also allows extra commercial components, so future expansion would remain subject to approvals and court restrictions.