BHUBANESWAR : KORAPUT’S enchanting wonders - Talamali and Deomali - are in the limelight. Both for good reasons and bad.
While ace director SS Rajamouli’s next big ticket movie ‘SSMB29’ has put the spotlight on the lush valleys of Talamali and opened new avenues for film tourism in Koraput, littering at the breathtaking Deomali has left the filmmaker disappointed.
Rajamouli shot a few scenes of his latest offing - a jungle adventure - at Talamali hill with superstars Priyanka Chopra and Mahesh Babu for 15 days before winding up the schedule earlier this week. Prior to that, the director had taken a solo trek to Deomali and though he was mesmerised by its beauty, what marred his view was the poor condition of the peak and the plastic waste littered all around.
Taking to his social media handles, Rajamouli urged people to have the basic responsibility to help maintain the pristine beauty of the peak. “Had an amazing solo trek to Deomali, Odisha’s highest and most stunning peak. The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. However, it was disheartening to see the trail marred by litter. Such pristine wonders deserve better. A little civic sense can make a huge difference. Every visitor should carry back their waste to help protect these places,” wrote the ‘Baahubali’ and ‘RRR’ director.
Through a video of his trek to Deomali, Rajamouli gave a glimpse of the plastic waste lying on top of the peak, to millions of his followers on Instagram and X.
In recent times, Deomali has become one of most visited sites in Koraput. In wake of increasing footfall, Koraput collector V Keerthi Vasan said the district administration has initiated a special measure to curb littering at the site. “At the entry gate, we are collecting `100 as sanitation security deposit and providing two bags to tourists for them to bring back all the plastic waste. If the visitor deposits the bags, we are returning the `100,” he said.
The collector said regular sanitation exercises are being taken up by local villagers and volunteers. “The quantity of plastic waste has significantly come down. Going ahead, we are thinking of banning single use plastic in Deomali and deploying dedicated sanitation teams there,” he added.