About Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary
Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is located along the Bay of Bengal coast, in Odisha, India. It is situated between the temple towns of Puri and Konark. Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary and Balukhand Konark Sanctuary.
Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 72 square kilometers. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984. Coastal dunes, Sandy beaches, Casuarina tree groves (which were planted early in the last century), and cashew plantations are there in the Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, along with native flora. Tamarind, Anacardium, Karanja, Polanga, Neem, etc, are also found in this sanctuary. This wildlife sanctuary is rich in flora and fauna.
Spotted deer and the rare Blackbuck can be seen on the Marine Drive road. Striped Hyena and Jungle Cat are some of the other wild animals found in this sanctuary.
Rivers Nuanai and Kushabhadra pass through the sanctuary, and the river mouths are part of the sanctuary area.
The sanctuary plays a major role in the erosion of land and also in the prevention of seawater ingress. It also helps in recharging the freshwater levels.
The Talabani area, contiguous to the sanctuary on the western side, is a sweet water zone, and Puri town depends on this.
Around 30 springs are situated inside the sanctuary. More than 300 species of rare plants and animals are found in and around these springs.
How Do I Go to Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary?
Puri town is situated close to the western boundary of the Balukhand sanctuary, at around three kilometers distance. Puri – Konark Marine Drive road passes through the Sanctuary.
Konark town is situated at a distance of 11 kilometers from the sanctuary entry gate.
There are no hotels inside the sanctuary. Puri and Konark are the two nearby cities with hotels.
For further information, please get in touch with the Divisional Forest Officer (Puri Wildlife Division). The phone number is 06752-228281, and the email ID is dfopuri@gmail.com.