Fashioned out of a real boat, the library is stationed at the eco-tourism complex at Dangamal, the gateway to the Bhitarkanika forest. It opened its gates to children and readers of all ages on 5 June, the World Environment Day, this year
The boat library houses about 1,500 books for children. @jd_pati/Twitter
Imagine a forest and deep inside it a boat full of books. An unusual combination, right? Not anymore, as the Dangamal nature camp inside Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Forest, the country’s second-largest mangrove ecosystem, has added a boat library for children, which is perhaps the first of its kind in India.
The boat library of Bhitarkanika
Fashioned out of a real boat, the library is stationed at the eco-tourism complex at Dangamal, the gateway to the forest. It opened its gates to children and readers of all ages on 5 June, the World Environment Day, this year.
According to a report by news agency PTI, which cites Bhitarkanika Divisional Forest Officer J D Pati, who is among the brains behind the project, the boat is one of those discarded by the department after being used for years to protect the mangrove forest and its wildlife.
It was retrofitted for the purpose and a room was created in its hull to house the books. Stairs were constructed to reach the room from the ground.