The proposed boating facility for tourists at Kamaldah Lake in the Betla range of the Palamau tiger reserve (PTR) which was slated to start on October 2 has been deferred, confirmed Kumar Ashish, deputy director north division of PTR.

“A serious consideration is on regarding whether boating facility for tourists will be started from Kamaldah Lake or from some other lake as the Betla range has one more lake,” he said, adding that at the moment, there will be no boating from the Kamaldah Lake.

Ashish said the postponement was done as the Betla National Park or tiger sanctuary which used to open on October 1 every year, continues to be shut for tourists.

“We are waiting for our field director YK Das’s instruction,” said Ashish.

He said he could not hazard a guess for the continued shutdown of the park and sanctuary beyond October 1 this time.

On being asked if a letter from DS Srivastava, the secretary of Nature Conservation Society, who is also a noted environmentalist, has put the brakes on boating, Ashish said he was aware of the letter.

Srivastava told The Telegraph Online on Sunday, “I have sent my letter to field director YK Das on September 29. Its copy has been sent to the chief wildlife warden Jharkhand and also to the deputy director North division PTR Ashish.”

He urged PTR authorities to look for other lakes for boating for tourists.

“My letter reads that the original plan to start boating for tourists was at Kechki forest rest house which comes under Betla range, at the confluence of the two rivers the Koyal and the Ouranga,” he said, adding that the Latehar administration had given two boats to PTR for the purpose in 2019.

“The Kamaldah Lake is not suitable for boating as this lake is the favourite of all herbivores and carnivores. Betla National Park’s elephants love bathing,” he said.

Srivastava said the resumption of boating there will lead to excess human interference, which will have an adverse impact on the passage and movement of wildlife near the lake, which is also under the elephant zone.

Ashish said the Kechki lake is massively damaged and boating can only start here if and when this the water body is repaired and strengthened, which calls for long drawn work with lots of official procedures involved including like design, estimation, water storage capacity etc.

He said there is a lake on the left side of the Betla range where possibilities are being explored.

He said he too has no knowledge of the new date for boating and also from where it is set to launch.