Kuanria Dam and Deer Park

Kuanria Dam and Deer Park is a combined irrigation reservoir and wildlife park located near Daspalla in Nayagarh district, Odisha. Built across the Kuanria River, the dam creates a scenic reservoir surrounded by forested hills. Adjacent deer park houses spotted deer and other fauna. Developed as an eco-tourism and picnic destination by the Odisha government, it attracts visitors for nature viewing, boating and leisure amid tranquil rural landscape.

Visitors can expect a large reservoir formed by the Kuanria Dam set amid forested hills, with an adjacent fenced deer park housing spotted deer. The site offers open picnic lawns, viewpoints over the water, and boating on the reservoir. The surroundings are rural and tranquil with forested landscape, birdlife and opportunities for photography and leisurely walks around the dam and park area.

Kuanria Dam was constructed as part of the Kuanria Irrigation Project across the Kuanria River, a tributary of the Mahanadi, to provide irrigation and water management for Nayagarh district. The adjoining deer park was later developed by the Forest Department as an eco-tourism initiative to promote wildlife conservation and local tourism.

The site serves as an important local recreation and eco-tourism destination for communities in Nayagarh and surrounding districts, commonly visited for picnics, family outings and nature education, especially during winter months.