BETTIAH, Oct. 13 -- After a brief monsoon break, tourism is set to return at Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in Bihar's West Champaran with new jungle safari routes, proposed helicopter tours and as many as 50 nature guides, many of them college students or aspirants of competitive exams who have picked up the jobs as fresh employment opportunities or stopgap arrangements to support their study. Sharing information, VTR field director Gaurav Ojha said the forest department had drawn up an elaborate plan to kick start the new session of forest tourism, which, in all likelihood, was to commence from October 16. "We have added two new jungle safari routes to the existing ones," said Ojha referring to a revamped plan. Last session of tourism was suspended from June 29 this year. Making the forest jaunts more engaging and fruitful gateways, tourists would now be able to go for the sightings of endangered vultures near Madanpur under active guidances of nature guides. The forest department has engaged as many as 50 "nature guides", many of them enthusiastic youths who are either students of graduation or aspirants of competitive examinations Dayanand Mahto, 28, from Goverdhana in West Champaran, is a full-time guide engaged in the job since 2016 in the Manguraha forest range. "Yes, it ensures an earning of Rs.10,000 every month, which is further supplemented by tips from tourists," Mahto said. For Jiten Paswan, a final-year graduation student from Valmikinagar, and other fresh entrants, the role is a "stopgap arrangement." "My father is a roadside vendor who has managed my studies with his hard-earned and meagre income from selling chana-bhuja on a cart. It is not possible for my family to afford coaching for competitive exams. I have, therefore, opted for the role of guide to keep my studies going," Paswan said. Manish Kumar, Ritik Yadav, Rahul Yadav, Subodh Kumar, Gopi Kumar, Pradeep Kumar, Aryan Kumar, Ashish Jha, Sonu Kumar and Bhola Kumar - all in early 20s - are either college-going students or exam aspirants who have picked up the job as part-time fancy to support their studies. The youth underwent a training at a workshop organised by the forest department at Valmikinagar on Saturday. "We learnt a host of nuances about dealing with situations which can arise during the duty as a guide. These include how to act if we encounter animals like the tiger, leopard and bear, and how to make the forest trips engaging and exhilarating for tourists," said Gopi Kumar, preparing for the SSC examinations after graduating from Baba Bhoot Nath College, Bagaha. Meanwhile, the department has taken to the repairing works of all the damages caused during the flooding during the monsoon and the change in the courses of hilly rivers passing through the forest area. "We are confident that all the basic necessary repairs would be completed in a day or two and go-ahead for the forest safari would be given after a meeting of officials and staff on October 14," said Gaurav Ojha. Located 330 kms north-west of Patna Valmikinagar, known for its scenic surroundings, has been a major tourist destination in the region....