Daringbadi's pine jewel withers sans upkeep

Hundreds of tourists thronged every day to Daringbadi in Kandhamal district braving the summer heat for a retreat in nature.

- POST NEWS NETWORK

Popular tourist spots in the block, such as Hill View Park, Nature Park, Coffee Garden, Midubanda waterfall, Kisubadi waterfall and Lovers’ Point, saw large crowds, especially with students and families making the most of the summer holidays.

One such attraction, the Duluri Pine Forest, known for its scenic charm and picnic spots, has now been left neglected. While entry tickets were collected during the winter tourism season from October to January, the main gate to the forest remained open thereafter, allowing unrestricted access to people. This has led to a surge in anti-social activities with the area getting littered with empty liquor bottles, plastic waste, polythene bags and other leftovers.