NEW DELHI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in India's northeastern state of Assam Wednesday reopened the Kaziranga national park for domestic and international tourists, officials said.
The park, which had been closed due to floods and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was reopened by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Sonowal ceremonially opened the doors of the park for tourists for the 2020-21 season at Mihimukh and took a safari in the Kohora range of the national park.
"Tourists can visit the Kaziranga national park following the government's COVID-19 protocols. Jeep safari was started from today in Kohora and Bagori ranges of the park while other two ranges would be opened from November for the visitors where elephant safari will also be started," an official said.
Talking to media, the chief minister said he hoped that with the opening of the Kaziranga National Park, Assam's tourism sector would be revived after the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
He also expressed optimism that the unemployed youth in and around Kaziranga would find meaningful employment again through safari and other tourism activities.
Kaziranga is a UNESCO world heritage site. The park is the largest home to the one-horned rhinoceros in India. Estimates say more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros are found in the park.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 in India, all the parks, monuments and heritage sites had been closed to minimize the rush of people and prevent the spread of infections. However, with the government announcing relaxations, authorities have started to reopen them gradually. Enditem
