Despite its abundant natural beauty, the focus on Adilabad district so far has mostly remained only on its poverty and backwardness. About the abounding natural beauty hardly anyone proceeds further than mentioning it and practically no one talks of exploring new possibilities in developing tourism.
Thousands of visitors come to places of interest such as Kuntala waterfall, Kawal Tiger Reserve or other tourist facilities but hardly anyone has enjoyed the scenic place from the air. And those who have done so swear that heli-tourism can be promoted here.
The vast area of the district is surrounded on the north by river Penganga, on the east by river Pranahita and on the south by the mighty Godavari while innumerable small and large streams and rivulets have as many waterfalls. The inside of the district boasts of a rather longish Sahayadri hill range with lovely valleys and abundant seasonal greenery which will definitely be a feast to the eyes.
Among those lucky few who have recently had an aerial view of the place are Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, IT and Panchayat Raj Minister K.T. Rama Rao and Tourism Minister A. Chandulal. They had arrived in a helicopter to participate in the Kumram Bheem martyrdom anniversary at the scenic Jodeghat valley.
“Heli-tourism can develop only if authorities provide full-fledged ground level facilities. Tourists should be able to come and stay for a few days during which they can exercise an option to hop on a helicopter and enjoy the great beauty of Adilabad,” opines Ashwin Rao, a Hyderabad based eco-tourism enthusiast, who visited Adilabad in the recent past. Mr. Rao asserts that Adilabad is the top contender for development of eco-tourism, heli-tourism, included in entire Telangana. His view is supported by Dulam Satyanarayana, a documentary film-maker currently shooting in the district.
“When I exhibited at a preparatory meeting of the IIFA function some of the footage of the Jodeghat valley shot by a drone, actor Kamal Haasan and Mr. Taraka Rama Rao were convinced that Adilabad has a great potential for development of tourism. They talked of the potential in film and heli tourism,” Mr. Satyanarayana recalled.
The recent thrust on tourism, if one can so label the government’s effort, has been on construction of cottages and improvement of a few facilities at Kadem dam and the Kawal Tiger Reserve besides, repairs to old forts in Nirmal and a couple of waterfalls, etc. There, however, is no commensurate effort in terms of popularising Adilabad as a tourism destination by projecting the natural beauty.
Heli-tourism can develop only if authorities provide full-fledged ground level facilities so that tourists can come and stay for a few days during which they can exercise an option to hop on a helicopter and enjoy the great beauty of Adilabad , Ashwin Rao,tourism enthusiast
