Kolkata, 29 August (H.S.): Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will construct two Bailey bridges at the Aranya Tourism Property in Jaldapara, Alipurduar, to address longstanding connectivity problems at the state-run tourism facility, West Bengal Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh said on Saturday.

The project comes in the aftermath of the devastating floods that hit North Bengal in 2025, when a bridge providing access to the tourism property was washed away, disrupting connectivity and leaving tourists stranded. The floods caused extensive damage to roads and bridges in and around the Jaldapara region.

Speaking at a GRSE programme in Kolkata, Ghosh said the new bridges would provide more reliable access to the tourism property and strengthen infrastructure at one of West Bengal's key wildlife tourism destinations.

“At the Aranya Tourism Property in Jaldapara, two Bailey bridges are being constructed with the assistance of GRSE to address the long-standing connectivity problems,” Ghosh said.

He added that the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur, is providing support for the foundation engineering of the bridges.

The need for improved connectivity became particularly evident during the October 2025 floods, when heavy rainfall caused rivers in North Bengal to swell and damaged infrastructure across the Jaldapara area.

Tourists staying at the government-run facility were stranded after access routes were disrupted and had to be evacuated through temporary arrangements.

Ghosh said strengthening tourism infrastructure was essential to sustain wildlife and nature tourism in North Bengal.

“Jaldapara is an important destination for wildlife and nature tourism. Reliable connectivity is essential if we want to provide better facilities to tourists and strengthen the local tourism economy,” he said.

The Tourism Minister stressed that infrastructure projects in North Bengal must take into account the region's geographical and climatic challenges, particularly heavy rainfall and flooding.

“While developing tourism infrastructure, we have to ensure that it is sustainable and capable of meeting the challenges posed by the geography and weather conditions of North Bengal,” Ghosh said.

He also highlighted the importance of the collaboration with GRSE, saying its specialised engineering expertise would contribute to strengthening tourism infrastructure in the region.

The Aranya Tourism Property, formerly known as Jaldapara Tourist Lodge, is located near Jaldapara National Park and continues to operate as a tourism facility.

Jaldapara is one of West Bengal's major wildlife tourism destinations and is particularly known for its one-horned rhinoceros population and extensive grasslands.

The construction of the two Bailey bridges is expected to improve year-round access to the tourism property and provide more resilient connectivity for visitors and the local tourism economy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey