What were once Maoist hotbeds in the forests of Telangana are now being opened to eco-tourism lovers. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi government in the state has given its nod to a request from the tourism department of Telangana to convert the erstwhile Maoist hideouts into public places, indicating the police and the government’s confidence that they have cleared the areas of extremist elements.
Two such Maoists areas, the Amrabad reserve forest on the banks of River Krishna and Jannaram reserve forest on the banks of Godavari, are now thrown open to eco-tourists.
The Maoists, who worked for CPI(ML) people’s war till 2005, ran their command from these jungle hideouts for close to two decades, before they were evicted in an aggressive hunt by the then Andhra Pradesh police under an elite force, Octopus, which was exclusively formed to combat them.
In the thick cover of the Amrabad reserve forest, the Maoists held a number of top level meetings and conducted special training camps for their militants and also used the hideouts to shelter their ailing comrades. The cops were afraid to venture into these areas as they suspected there were many landmines.
The police took control of the Amrabad area after a series of encounters with the extremists in 2005-06. The cops entered the core areas of the jungle and scanned and de-mined it over a period of two years, before declaring it safe for other departments like the revenue and public distribution network. Routine government administration work resumed here from 2007-08.
The Amrabad forest, which is spread over 1,750 sq km and is a part of the Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve on the southern part of Telangana, covers four districts, Nalgonda, Nagar Kurnool, Wanaparthy and Mahabubnagar. It is home to around 100 tigers, dozens of leopards and hundreds of other wild animals and a rich flora and fauna. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, this reserve was divided between Telangana and AP. The Telangana side is called Amrabad forest, while the AP side is called the Nallamala forest, which spreads over Gutnur, Prakasaham and Kurnool districts.
Though people and tourism agencies are interested in visiting these sanctuaries, only the Telangana government has given its nod to opening the Amrabad forest for the public.
The Amrabad Tiger Reserve was opened for eco-tourism from 13 October and the first batch of tourists were allowed to go deep inside of Domalapenta, where once the Maoists used to stay.
The tourism department has made arrangements such as resting places, dormitories and night camps and has also made toilets and bathing boxes, said Amrabad Tiger Reserve field director M.C. Paragaien.
Incidentally, the first eco-tourism spot in Amrabad forests is Octopus Point of View. Here, the river is spread in eight directions and looks like an octopus. But this also serves as a symbol of the state gaining an upper hand over the Maoists since the “Octopus” is an anti-Maoist commando force.
The reserve forest in Jannaram in Mancherial on the northern tip of Telangana had been cleared of Maoists long ago. This area, spread over 2,012 sq km and also called the Kawal Tiger Reserve, is home to around 170 tigers and dozens of leopards and hundreds of wild animals. It was once the stronghold of People’s War militants.
When the Marri Chenna-Reddy led Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh lifted the ban on People’s War, this Jannaram area, which abuts Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh), became the nerve centre of the militants from the three states.
Now, the Telangana tourism department has opened this entire area for regular tourists and special packages are allowed for night stay.
Telangana Tourism Development Corporation chairman Pervaram Ramulu, who is a retired IPS officer, told The Sunday Guardian that there was a huge interest from all over the country for visiting these forest areas.
Online bookings are being made on the corporation’s website, he said. Ramulu, however, made it clear that enough care was being taken to see that the tigers and other animals were not disturbed by tourists and night-halters. He also said that steps were being taken to ensure protection from tourist disturbance to PVTGs (particularly vulnerable tribal groups) living in these forests.