As Maoist shadow fades, Chhattisgarh opens Indravati tiger reserve to tourists

Indravati Tiger Reserve in Bijapur, Bastar, has opened to organised wildlife tourism for the first time in about four decades. The opening matters because it gives visitors access to one of Chhattisgarh’s most remote forests. It also supports eco-tourism and could create income for communities living around the reserve.

Tourists can join a safari in the buffer area. Officials have identified a 33-kilometre safari route, with a prepared 9-kilometre stretch from Ullur village to Dandaparti. Four Gypsy vehicles will operate initially. The fee is ₹2,000 per vehicle per day. Visitors may see wildlife such as tigers, leopards, wild buffaloes, gaur and chital.

Tourism will begin on a limited scale. Officials plan to add vehicles and routes depending on visitor response and footfall. The wider circuit also includes Madhi Markha’s riverbank and rocky terrain, and the 300-foot Nambi waterfall. Homestays, local food, handicrafts and Bastar art are also being promoted.

Indravati Tiger Reserve lies in Bijapur district, in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It is one of the state’s most remote forest landscapes. The reserve was established under Project Tiger in 1983 and covers about 2,800 square kilometres. Its location places it near attractions such as the Indravati river, Madhi Markha and Nambi waterfall.

A tiger reserve is a protected area created and managed primarily for tiger conservation. It protects forests, prey animals and water sources that tigers need. It can also support other species and carefully controlled visitor activities. Indravati is home to tigers, leopards, wild buffaloes, gaur, chital, vultures and several other species.

The new tourism opening does not mean unrestricted access. Officials are starting with a limited safari route in the buffer area. They plan to expand routes gradually, while keeping conservation central. The reserve’s management also aims to involve local communities and develop tourism responsibly.

Indravati Tiger Reserve spans 2,800 square kilometres. The article describes it as the country’s fourth-largest tiger reserve in terms of area. Its size supports a rich range of habitats and species. These include tigers, leopards, wild buffaloes, gaur, chital, Indian vultures, white-rumped vultures and several other animals.

A forest department presentation listed six tigers in Indravati in current state-level figures presented to the minister. The same chart recorded 18 tigers in Achanakmar, seven in Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla, three in Bhoramdev and one in Udanti-Sitanadi. The reserve also contains Chhattisgarh’s state animal, the wild buffalo.

The figure of six is not final. The latest All India Tiger Estimation is still under way. Officials said the final population will be confirmed after scientific data compilation. Earlier surveys covered only accessible areas, while improved access may produce a more complete count.

Organised tourism was not possible because Indravati lies in Bijapur, a Bastar district known as an epicentre of Maoist insurgency. The security situation restricted movement and kept officials away from large areas of the remote forest. As a result, visitors could not use organised wildlife tourism facilities there for about four decades.

The change has come with a significant improvement in security linked to Left Wing Extremism. Officials can now access areas that had remained beyond their reach for years. This improved field access has also helped the forest department prepare a safari route and begin planning tourism infrastructure.

The opening is therefore both a tourism initiative and a sign of changed conditions in the region. Officials are still proceeding carefully. Tourism will start with four vehicles on a limited route. Better access may also make wildlife surveys more comprehensive, although the final tiger count awaits completion of the current estimation exercise.

Opening Indravati could spread tourism income beyond safari operators. The government wants local communities to benefit from visitor spending. That matters in a remote region where new livelihood opportunities can strengthen the local economy and connect conservation with household income.

Six local youths have already been trained and engaged as guides and safari vehicle drivers. Their local knowledge can help visitors understand the forest and its biodiversity. Officials are also promoting homestays, traditional handicrafts, local products, Bastar art and indigenous cuisine. These activities could create self-employment for villagers and income for local businesses.

The benefits will depend on how much tourism develops and how fairly local people participate. Officials plan to increase vehicles and routes only according to tourist response and footfall. If managed responsibly, visitor spending could support several connected livelihoods while giving communities a reason to value the reserve. The government says conservation, tourism and local livelihoods should move together.

Indravati’s tourism plan uses a step-by-step model. Officials want visitors to experience the reserve without creating uncontrolled pressure on its forests and wildlife. This approach matters because the reserve is large, remote and still being assessed through a nationwide tiger estimation exercise.

The first phase identifies a 33-kilometre safari route in the buffer area, but only a 9-kilometre stretch from Ullur to Dandaparti is prepared for visitors. Four Gypsy vehicles will operate initially, at ₹2,000 per vehicle per day. More vehicles and routes will be added depending on tourist response and footfall. The wider circuit includes Madhi Markha and Nambi waterfall.

Officials also plan to develop destinations responsibly and involve local residents as guides, drivers and service providers. Limiting access, using buffer routes and expanding gradually provide practical controls. The stated aim is to increase access and economic opportunity without compromising conservation of the reserve.

Eco-tourism is nature-based travel planned to protect the environment while benefiting people who live nearby. At Indravati, it means showing visitors the forest, rivers, waterfalls and wildlife without treating the reserve as an uncontrolled recreation site. It matters because tourism can support conservation only when the natural resource remains healthy.

The plan illustrates this balance. Visitors begin with a limited safari in the buffer area, using a 9-kilometre prepared stretch and four vehicles. Local youths work as guides and drivers. Homestays, handicrafts, Bastar art and indigenous cuisine can add village income. These measures connect visitor access with local participation and livelihoods.

The balance must continue as tourism grows. More vehicles and routes will depend on tourist response and footfall, while officials say destinations will be developed responsibly. If access expands too quickly, conservation could suffer. If communities are excluded, local benefits could weaken. Indravati’s stated goal is for conservation, tourism and livelihoods to move together.