E-rickshaws to replace cycle rickshaws at Keoladeo National Park

Jaipur, Aug 20 (PTI) Battery operated rickshaws will be used for sightseeing inside the park replacing the existing cycle rickshaws at Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, officials said, adding that the move will reduce the time taken for a tour of the park.

Deputy Conservator of Forest at Keoladeo National Park Manas Singh said all cycle rickshaws will be replaced before October when the season for migratory birds at the park begins.

He also said that the e-rickshaws will be purchased and operated by those who are currently operating the manual rickshaws.

“It used to take around 3.5-4 hours to complete the tour of the park with cycle rickshaws. Apart from this, those who were operating the [cycle] rickshaws are getting old. So, looking at all aspects, a decision was taken to replace the cycle rickshaws with the e-rickshaw,” he said.

“Now bird lovers will be able to cover the park in less time. It will take around 2-2.5 hours to visit the park by riding the e-rickshaw,” Singh said. Around 120 e-rickshaws will be engaged by October, he added.

Keoladeo National Park, which is managed by the forest department, has well-defined treks which can be covered either on foot or by rickshaws.

Motor vehicles are not allowed in the park, which is famous for migratory birds, the official said. It is visited by around 2,000 bird lovers daily during peak season of migratory birds which starts from October, while the footfall remains around 400 on other days, he added.

The Keoladeo National Park is recognised as one of the world’s most important bird breeding and feeding grounds.

It is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been sighted at the park.

It originated as a royal hunting reserve during the 1850s and was a game reserve for the then Maharajas and the British. In 1982, Keoladeo was declared a national park and then later listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.