Dehradun: The Jim Corbett and Rajaji tiger reserves of Uttarakhand were closed for visitors today for five months in view of the approaching monsoon which renders internal roads at the famous parks unsafe and unusable, especially for vehicles.
Rajaji was closed today for visitors and would reopen only on November 15, Kalagarh Division Forest Officer KS Rawat said.
Spread over 820 sq km, the Rajaji Tiger Reserve covers Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand.
The tiger reserves are closed as the roads inside the parks get washed away in the rains.
The repair work starts after monsoon and goes on till mid-November when the roads are back in motorable condition.
However, the Bijrani Zone of Corbett situated in Nainital district will remain open for day safaris until the end of this month, its Director Samir Sinha said.
Corbett witnessed a rise in the number of visitors and revenue this summer, he said.
The park earned a revenue of Rs 8.29 crore this summer, registering an increase of 16 per cent in domestic tourist arrivals and an 18 per cent rise in foreign tourist arrivals in comparison to last year, Sinha said.
Attributing the rise in tourist arrivals at the park to improved online booking facility, he said in all 2.50 lakh tourists visited the park since November 2014.
