Mayuri nursery set to turn eco-tourism hub

Mahbubnagar: Mayuri Central Plant Nursery, on the outskirts of the town, is all set to boost the eco-tourism in Mahbubnagar district. “We have launched operation clearing the bushy trees and old Eucalyptus plantation spreading over 12 acres in the Mayuri Nursery to develop it into an eco-tourism zone. The main objective of the exercise is to expand the urban lung space by improving greenery and building recreation centres.

• In the first phase, the Forest Department is developing 200 hectares by building children park, yoga centre and growing medicinal plants
• The region lies on the slopes of Bontagattu mountain range with the hilly slopes, valleys and flat mountain tops dotted with trees and a large spread of green forest cover

As part of our initial plan this year we are focusing on developing children play gardens and yoga centre and a medicinal herbal garden spreading 100-200 hectares. For this we are spending about Rs. 1 crore and planning to complete the entry plaza along with Children Park by April-end this year,” said Forest Range Officer Mahender.

Mayuri Central Nursery, located between Mahbubnagar and Jadcherla highway, is an ideal location for developing the eco-tourism project in the district. As the region lies on the slopes of Bontagattu mountain range, the hilly slopes, valleys and flat mountain tops dotted with trees and a large spread of green forest cover all around provide the perfect venue for the tourists to enjoy the beauty of the region.

The entire eco-tourism region includes the entire mountain range and the deep forests spreading over 2,500 hectares from Appanapally to Mammadabad. At present as part of first phase of the project only about 200 hectares are earmarked for the development works. “We are developing the internal roads all along the hilly slopes and barricading the main forest areas with 12 feet high iron fencing so as to avoid any trespassing of wild animals in the park region.

Already we have built 4 kilometres of road. We are also planning special tracks for cycling and walkers which will extend from Jolly hills to TB hospital. In addition to this we are also planning to construct high raised wall all along the road side with green creeper cover on it. The main entrance “Entry Plaza” will be completed in the next two months and we are expecting to complete the first phase by end of this year,” said Mahender.

For developing the eco-tourism park, the officials have already designed a draft plan and accordingly taking up the works in a phased manner. “We have earmarked for developing a medicinal herbal plantation over 2 hectares of area. Our main focus will be on providing basic amenities to the visiting tourists like drinking water, shelters sheds for resting, benches for sitting along the walk paths. We are also constructing toilets and washrooms for the visitors,” added the FRO.

In addition to development of green parks, the Forest Department will also develop different kinds of specialised plantation zones such as Kartika Vanama, Rashi Vanam, Pancha Vati Vanam and Nakshatra Vanam. “We are trying our best to incorporate innovative ideas to make this region a unique spot that links humans and trees. For viewing the scenic beautify of the park we are constructing two pagodas “Valley View Point” and “Hill View Point” with railings all along. In the next few days we will complete the compound wall.

The government has already sanctiond Rs 57 lakh for the project. On the flip side, the region is facing acute water scarcity. All the three wells that were drilled recently failed to yield water. “We have three borewells, but there is no water in them. We are hopeful of finding a way out. We have got permission to drill three more borewells,” said Niranjan, Forest Beat Officer, supervising the day-to-day works on the park.