HYDERABAD: With the launch of newer attractions and ecotourism activities, the Amrabad Tiger Reserve is ready to attract more tourists. Minister of Forests and Environment A Indrakaran Reddy on Friday kicked off the tourism activities at Mannanur by inaugurating eight new open-air safari vehicles for tourists to explore the wilderness, six cottages, including a few treehouses and mud houses which offer visitors an exhilarating feeling of being close to nature.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, “The State is promoting a responsible ecotourism, as a part of which activities in sync with the ideas are being developed in the forest and reserve areas.’’ Stating that all the forest areas have been declared as plastic-free zones, he called upon people to safeguard Telangana’s natural treasure.
Visitors can book tiger reserve stay packages through the official web portal from January 26. The package offers luxurious stay options along with a 16-km safari ride and trekking from Mannanur to Uma Maheshwaram and Prataparudra Kota.
The cost varies from Rs 4,600 for standard rooms to about Rs 8,000 for treehouses. One can also visit the bio lab, where the research on ATR specimens is being conducted, the environmental educational centre, which represents the tribal life of the Chenchus.
In order to provide employment to the locals, the Forest department has trained 10 Chenchu youths as tourists guides.One of the guides, Veeraswami Hanumayya, said, “Out of the 60 candidates, 10 have been selected as guides based on our knowledge of the forest. Our responsibility is to protect the tourists during the safari ride and explain about the birds and animals which we come across.
Though we have been training for a month we have gained more knowledge of the area as we have grown up in the forest. Our natural knowledge of the behaviour of various animals and their movements will help us guide tourists very well in the forest. Because of tourism activities, employment is also increasing in the forest area and we are happy to render our services.’’
Speaking to TNIE, G Swetha, educational and public relation officer, said, “We try to involve the local youth in forest related works, so that they can earn income and at the same time understand the needs be protect the natural wealth.’’
With the efforts of the Forest department the tiger population has risen to 21 as per the recent AITE-2022 report as against 12 according to the All-India Census of Tiger-2018.On the occasion, a coffee-table book ‘Tiger Book of ATR’, comprising the images of tigers captured on camera traps, was released and 10 new surveillance cameras which facilitate monitoring of wild animals and tigers, in particular, were inaugurated.