Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Bhitarkanika National Park will reopen for tourists from August 5 as per the reopen guidelines announced by the state government but the night stay at the forest guest houses for the tourists will not be allowed.
According to the official reports, all visitors are required to follow COVID-19 norms including the use of masks and maintaining social distance while entering the park where an adequate number of forest guards have been deployed to enforce the regulations. Sanitisers have been kept at several places in the forest and the guest houses, roads and other infrastructure renovated, said DFO JD Pati.
The report further stated that the Forest department has made it mandatory for tourists to take local guides in the boat to visit the park for which around 40 youths of nearby villages have been trained. They have renovated guest houses, roads and other infrastructure recently.
The park was closed for visitors from May 1 to July 31 during the mating and nesting seasons of saltwater crocodiles but due to COVID-19, the Forest department extended the closure period to August 8.
