Cattle Island

It is an island located at one of the extreme points of Hirakud Reservoir, Orissa India. It is a natural wonder completely inhabited by wild cattle, almost all of which are white in colour. It is near Kumarbandh village of Belpahar-Banharpali range which is about 90 km from Sambalpur. It can be reached by launch from Hirakud Dam; it is closer by 10 km via the river. The island is a submerged hill, and before the construction of Hirakud Dam it was a developed village.

During the resettlement period, villagers left some of their cattle behind; when the dam construction was over, the cattle settled on the hilltop. With the passage of time the nearby area filled up with the reservoir water, turning the hilltop into an island and with only cattle as inhabitants without any trace of humans.


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