Satkosia Tiger Reserve is preparing for a significant transformation. Six new ecotourism hubs are being developed across its two divisions, Mahanadi and Satkosia, funded under the Centre’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme.
The sites, spread across Chhamundia, Kusang, Purunakote, Jagannathpur, Baliput, and Tikarpada, will be developed into arrival plazas, interpretation centres, rest facilities, and canteens for day visitors. Riverside dining and boating facilities are planned along the Mahanadi Gorge, a 21-kilometre stretch where fishing has been banned to protect gharials.
The infrastructure push runs alongside a more consequential ecological goal. The National Tiger Conservation Authority approved the resumption of tiger translocation into Satkosia in 2024, following a failed attempt in 2018. There are currently no tigers in either division. Before any translocation proceeds, two villages within the Mahanadi division’s core area are to be relocated, with 15 preparatory measures required by the NTCA.
The combination of visitor infrastructure and wildlife reintroduction reflects a deliberate sequencing: build the experience first, then bring back the animal that justifies it.
For a reserve that sits along one of Odisha’s most dramatic river gorges, the ambition is considerable.
