Anantapur: Pampanuru eco-park to be thrown open for public soon

Anantapur: Forest department is projecting 'Nagara Vanams' as an Environmental Education Centre for the benefit of students.

With a view to make people and students environmental conscious and create love for trees and ecology, the forest department has hit upon the concept of Nagara Vanams. It is also aimed at giving people a feel of nature away from the mundane of life. While the one at Pampanuru village 18 km from here will shortly be thrown open to school students and general public, three others at Rayadurgam, Kalyandurgam and Puttaparthi are in various stages of development.

District collector Gandham Chandrudu and other officials, who visited the park, are impressed with the good work done by the DFO Jaganath Singh.

The Eco-Tourism park at Pampanuru is an integrated project with a deer park, mountain trekking, amphi-theatre, Yoga centre, volleyball and shuttle courts and a 7-km nature camp called Safari Park with transport facility to go around the forest to view its pristine beauty. It is an eco-tourism journey extending up to 7 km within the reserve forest area. For the citizens of Anantapur, the eco-tourism park is good news as the citizens will now have a let-out from the daily routine of life to enjoy the serenity of the mother nature and to forget the hustle and bustle of city life, along with families, thanks to the Forest department. The park is attracting schoolchildren as play equipment and gymnasium is in place. Multiple entertainment items are enticing the children. There are 10-15 items for children which are highly enjoyable. One of the highlights of park is a separate trekking zone for youth. Roads have been laid throughout the jungle connecting the trekking mountain with also a watch tower to have an over view of the park and the highway.

For tourists from outside and even for people of the district, it is a feast to the eyes. For the elderly people and for the youth, sports facilities including the volleyball and shuttle court are developed. A restaurant is also being run inside the park. Passers-by also can stop at the park, have snacks and rest for a while under the shade of the trees. Vehicles to go around the jungle park and have a feel of the nature riding 7 km at a stretch touching the trekking mountain have been arranged. Mountain climbing can also be done with the support of ropes from the slope of mountain to the top to reach the watch tower.

DFO Jaganath Singh told The Hans India that the park has the presence of deers, bears, wild boars and even rabbits in the reserve forest which forms part of the eco-park. An LED screen showing interesting films and movies is an added attraction for elders, who accompany children. The wild forest park has emerged as a home for the almost extinct sparrows. After easing of the covid position, the park will be thrown open to the general public and to educational institutions in particular.