RAJAMAHENDRAVRAM: The State government has extended the ban on tourism activities in Gudisa for two more weeks until February 20 to clear the plastic and other waste left behind by tourists.
Gudisa, a village in Pullangi panchayat, is the only grassland tourist destination in AP and Telangana. The government also has plans to regulate tourism in the hilltop locate in the reserve forests of East Godavari.
Tourists, who often arrive in groups, litter the scenic locale causing ecological damage. Instances of tourists lighting campfire are frequent, and local Maredumilli vendors have been providing tents, firewood and other items to tourists.
Incidentally, tourism had been banned in Gudisa earlier too. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) had closed Gudisa to tourists in March 2021, to clean the area. Entry to the area was banned during Covid-19 outbreak also. ITDA Project Officer Praveen Aditya said volunteers would clear the plastic waste piled up on the hillock.
A check-post, manned by tribesmen, would be set up, he added. A committee of tribespeople, too, would be formed to protect the area from further deterioration.