Call to conserve ancient hillocks in Bhupalpally

Jayashankar Bhupalpally: Situated in the dense forest about 42 km away from the district headquarters, Kapuram Guttalu (hillocks) also known as Kapuram Khilla is calling for the attention of tourism officials.

While there are three hillocks with a height ranging between 200 to 250 feet, people can scale only one of them with difficulty, for a jaw-dropping experience. The hillocks resemble landscapes of Utah, Colorado, in the USA.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, a wildlife enthusiast and birder Ch Shyam Sunder, who is also the founder of the Orugallu Wildlife Society (OWLS), said that this scenic spot was located at Kapuram village of Malhar Rao mandal in the district and has the potential to become a major tourist destination for adventure tourists and nature lovers.

“From October to June, people can visit these hillocks. But one should take the help of local residents (Nayakaopodu tribals) during this expedition. The hillocks are not accessible during the monsoon season,” he said, adding that it was not safe to visit the place without the help of the locals as these hillocks are the habitat of some wild animals like sloth bears and others. A stream also flows adjacent to these hillocks.

According to archaeology enthusiast Aravind Arya Pakide, the hillocks were used as a military base during the reign of the Kakatiyas. “We can see the remnants of the fort on the hillocks,” Aravind said.

The hillocks, which are part of the deciduous scrub forests, are the habitat of 80 species of hawks, eagles apart from rare species of butterflies including Banded peacocks. The place is also known for medicinal plants.
Aravind said that the Kapuram Fort (Khilla) needs to be identified as a historical site and steps must be taken to conserve it besides promoting eco-tourism activities by providing road facilities.

Former DFO K Purushotham, who also worked as the DFO of Bhupalpally district, said that the place was once a habitat of the big cat.

When contacted, Kalyanapu Suman who is the Eco-Tourism manager for erstwhile Warangal district said he had made a presentation at the DTPC on the tourism potential following the directions from the then-District Collector and chairman of DTPC, Mohammad Abdul Azeem, and were chalking out plans to promote eco-tourism activities at the Kapuram hills along with other places including Nainpaka temples, Boggulavagu project and Prathapagiri Fort.

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