NAGARKURNOOL: There is opposition to the proposal to keep the Saleshwaram Temple inside the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Nallamala forest open to pilgrims throughout the year as an eco-tourism initiative. Native Chenchus and wildlife activists are raising their voice against the proposal announced by District Collector P Uday Kumar and Achampet MLA Guvvala Balaraju.
The temple trust and the forest department have proposed that the temple be kept open throughout the year to moderate the inflow of pilgrims to the temple during the three days that it is kept open during the year. In recent years, the crowds have swelled, posing a challenge to the forest department and the temple trust in managing the crowd.
According to District Forest Officer Rohith Gopidi, the proposal was yet to be submitted to the principal chief conservator of forests, and a final decision will be taken only after getting consent from the Chenchus living in various pentas (Chenchu hamlets) under Appapur gram panchayat in Lingal Mandal.
According to the proposal, except for the monsoon season, tourists will be allowed to visit the temple on all other days, with a limit of 50 tourists per day who will be booking their slots online before having a safari tour inside the tiger reserve.
However, the Chenchus and wildlife conservators are raising an alarm over the safety of the tiger habitat being compromised in the process. Another major concern is the possibility of pollution of mineral-rich water by pilgrims in front of a gigantic cave. The water falls into a natural water body from a height of hundreds of feet.
Apart from this, allowing visitors to the temple throughout the year might scare the wildlife from visiting the water source to quench their thirst during summer. There would also be the problem of littering the area of used plastic waste which might be difficult to clean. There is also an apprehension that those who visit the temple might hire Chenchus to poach wild animals,” observed Pradeep Nair, a wildlife activist.
While protecting the environment from not-so-responsible pilgrims may be one threat to the forest, the man-animal conflict could be another issue that may arise in the near future, feel experts. However, the forest officials see an opportunity in the proposal which can be a win-win situation for both Chenchus and the pilgrims.
The forest officials cite the example of Ishta Kameshwari temple located near Srisailam, where a similar ecotourism initiative was being implemented. The Chenchus there were made safari drivers, tour guides, temple priests, and volunteers, with 50% of the ticket money going into their accounts.
“Whether Saleshwaram jathara is held for three days or 11 days, ten years down the line the pilgrim inflow will only keep increasing, and managing that kind of an inflow will also pose serious challenges both for the Chenchus and the wildlife. So managing 50 pilgrims a day is easier for us, and we can actually. Educate them about the importance of tiger and forest conservation. It is practically not possible to create awareness among lakhs of devotees coming for three days,” said a forest official, on condition of anonymity.