The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department (APFD) is developing an eco-tourism complex in 25 acres at Mardaguda under Anantagiri-II Reserve Forests of Eastern Ghats in Alluri Sitama Raju district with financial support of ₹5.50 crore from NTPC Simhadri of Anakapalli district. The complex is located along the under-construction NH-516E national highway heading towards Araku, and is 85 km from Visakhapatnam city.
The project was proposed in 2022. Work began in 2023, with construction gaining momentum this year as the department intends to complete it by next year. However, only 14% of the allocated funds have been spent so far.
NTPC evinced interest on the project after liking its objective of uplifting the lives of tribal villagers, and is intending to establish this complex as one of the most tourist-attractive eco-friendly spots in the country.
The Forest Department chose this hilly terrain because of the coffee plantations, perennial natural water streams, beautiful views of sunrise, silvery clouds, and the availability of power supply and transport facilities.
Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday (July 3), APFD Visakhapatnam’s Forest Officer Ch. Dharma Rakshit said that erstwhile Visakhapatnam District Forest Officer Ananth Shankar, who is now on an official tour in Delhi, proposed this project. NTPC came forward to help the department to go ahead with the project.
He said some of the key objectives are to promote low-impact nature tourism, showcase the rich biodiversity of the Eastern Ghats, encouraging community participation, provision of livelihood opportunities to locals (tribals), and also forest degradation.
“In fact, ASR district has a vast forest cover compared to other parts of the State. There is a huge scope for nature tourism projects. Secondly, the area is dominated by tribals who still depend heavily on forests, there is a need to provide sustainable livelihoods to them through nature-based solutions. The local community is the main stakeholder in the project,” Mr. Rakshit said.
The list of activities that can be undertaken in the project is divided into two categories. Category A activities include construction of basic infrastructure like roads, water storage, electricity, optical fibre internet, environmental education centres, coffee shops, parking etc.
Category B activities include construction, operation and maintenance of Day and Night services in the complex. Eco-cottages, multi-storied conference hall, restaurant with open decks, theme-based nature and butterfly parks, and an orchidarium will be part of it.
“For this project, we have spent about ₹77.84 lakh as on date out of the ₹5.50 crore. We will complete it by the end of 2025,” Mr. Rakshit concluded.
