Fascinating eco-tourism project on the anvil

Warangal: With an aim to take tourism in the State to the next level, the Department of Tourism is mulling over a dream eco-tourism project to unlock the huge potential of the picturesque countryside lakes and getaways surrounding Warangal, the Capital of Kakatiya Dynasty, this besides the Central government-funded Tribal Eco-tourism Circuit that already got underway.

The news is that Tourism department is seriously contemplating to develop a new eco-tourism circuit encompassing Pakhal Lake and Bheemunipadam waterfalls in Warangal Rural district, Bayyaram Lake in Mahabubabad district and Dharmasagar Lake in Warangal Urban district.

However, people’s patronage to Pakhal Lake is fair enough, the Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary never got its due. Recently, the government has decided to set up a deer park at an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh.

Hidden inside the thickets in Gudur mandal, Bheemunipadam, a perennial waterfall, shot into limelight very recently. According to the legend, Bheemasena set his foot here to save Papanachamma, a Yadava deity, after the latter’s house was set on fire by a local ruler Muni Rajulu.

Bayyaram tank, one among the chain tanks of Kakatiya times, is another unexplored tourism spot that never got a push from the government, notwithstanding its potential. The 8-foot pillar engraved with 71 Sanskrit verses in Telugu and Kannada scripts is a masterpiece.

Against this backdrop, the Department of Tourism engaged a Chennai-based consultancy to study the potential of the proposed new ecotourism circuit.

Confirming this, Department of Tourism Assistant Director Duvva Surya Omprakash told The Hans India: “After getting the report from the consultancy, the higher-ups of the department will draft a route map.”

Warangal Seva Tourism and Cultural Society founder president Kusuma Surya Kiran, who accompanied the consultancy team, said: “There is a wide scope for heritage, cultural and lake tourism development in Warangal region and the Department of Tourism is exploring all the options to tap this potential that invariably helps the economic growth of rural areas.”

It may be noted here that other famous destinations - Gattamma temple near Mulugu, Medaram, Tadvai forest, Laknavaram Lake, Damaravai megalithic structures, Bogatha waterfalls and Mallur temple – in the region have already been covered in the Tribal Eco-tourism Circuit for which the Centre has earmarked Rs 84 crore under Swadeshi Darshan Scheme and works are being carried out with the released Rs 16.88 crore.