Sasanka Talukdar and Shajid Khan reports

With the arrival of picnic season one of the most popular picnic hot spot of state located 137 kms away from Guwahati ,Bhairabkunda with all her unmatched scenic beauty is once again ready to welcome tourists and picnic lovers.

Bhairabkunda thepicturesque triangular junction of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan located in Udalguri has been an eco tourism destination since decades due to its lush greenery,hills,dense forest and roaring river. Thousands of nature loving people visit Bhairabkunda every year to share romanticmoments with nature. Perhaps time itself dances in the tune of fast flowing roaring waves of Jampani River, originating in Bhutan, and Bhairabi River which merge in Bhairabkunda to form Jia Dhansiri River.

Dhansiri river is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river.A special attraction of Bhairabkunda is the thrill of visiting a foreign land,Bhutan with ease. People can cross the international border on foot and enter adjacent Daifam town of Samdrup Jongkhar district of Eastern Bhutan and enjoy the local cuisine, and evidence Buddhist religion, beliefs, lifestyle, economy, and dresses, etc. and can buy Bhutanese local products. The town is also popular for wine trading. The tourists are allowed to visit as a casual visitor provided they carry Voter ID or Passport in original for adults and Birth Certificate in original for child.With rivers criss-crossing the verdant Assam-Bhutan-Arunachal border and the Bhairabkunda Reserve Forest providing some undulating trekking trails,there is ample scope for watching nature in a serene atmosphere.Bhairabkunda Eco Tourism & Conservation Society has taken up initiatives for the convenience of the visitors.

As per information the society members have already cleaned up the site with waste management system.

“More than a thousand people visit Bhairabkunda daily during picnic season. We have taken all precautionary measures so that the traffic or any untoward incident can be thwarted. All the picnic teams would be briefed about maintenance of cleanliness and peace at the time of their arrival.”,B. Narzari a society member informed.

After a compliant recieved from Vishva Hindu Parishad Assam, a team Bajali administration visited at the ‘Chef Kitchen’ restaurant at Pathsala. They discovered that the restaurant’s kitchen was in deplorable condition, with old meat found stored in the freezer for an extended period. Expired sauce bottles were also noted, alongside uncovered food items. The utensils were reportedly kept in filthy conditions.

The incident that has raised serious concerns about food safety, where customers have reportedly been served rotten food in the restaurant near Bhattadev University of Pathsala.

Meanwhile, the Bajali district administration along with food safety department seized the rotten foods and expired items from the restaurant and further investigation is going on.

Vishva Hindu Parishad Assam alleged that, “In Bajali there are many luxury restaurant, the administration should check these restaurants, whether they are providing hygienic food or not. Outdoor and Interior design of many restaurants looks good, but kitchen is in deplorable condition”.

As many as 45 pilgrims from Assam were rushed to a local hospital in Jamnagar, Gujarat, after suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting at the pilgrimage site of Dwarka, in which one of the pilgrims died due to food poisoning.

The deceased person has been identified as Udbav Das from Manikpur Bajali.

A 70-year-old woman still is still in ventilator.

Reportedly, the incident occurred on late Wednesday night, and Assam Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, after learning about the matter, immediately informed the Gujarat administration to look into the matter.

Following the intervention, the Gujarat government quickly extended assistance, providing much-needed medical aid and securing the pilgrims’ safety.

Ranjeet Kumar Dass said, “After the Gujarat administration received the information, they immediately swung into action, and they bore all the medical expenses. I really appreciate their efforts and how they took the matter as their own,”

Speaking to the Times of Northeast Ashok Roy, a member of the pilgrimage group, the local administration and police in Jamnagar have been supportive, providing medical aid and ensuring the safety of the pilgrims.

He added that the Assam government and Bajali administration has also been in constant touch with the group to monitor their situation.

Notably, out of 45 pilgrims, 32 returned to the state, while the remaining are still under treatment in Gujarat.

The group had embarked on their pilgrimage on September 23, travelling from Rangia to Dwarka. What was supposed to be a sacred journey turned into a nightmare when illness struck, and they were left without help for days.