Gandhari Vanam, paradise of nature lovers cries for attention of officials

The morning joggers said that they were facing inconvenience due to weed and waste plants grown on either side of the track.

Mancherial: Gandhari Vanam, an urban forest park situated on the outskirts of Bokkalagutta village in Mandamarri mandal abutting the National Highway 363, is crying for attention of officials.

Created on a sprawling 137 hectares in 2015 at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore, the park showcases biodiversity. It is a home to a host of forest plant species, a staggering array of avian community, butterflies, wild boars and monkeys. It houses 11,000 fully grown tree species namely neem, pala (Oxystelma esculentum), teak tectona grandis, Regu (Ziziphus nummularia) and hundreds of herbal plants.

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However, proposals were prepared to develop the lung space on the lines of Shilparamam in Hyderabad in 2023. They have been put in cold storage. A convention centre, children’s play area, food court, boating, crafts stalls, cottages, cultural museum, etc., were among the facilities mulled as part of the development. Estimated cost of the work was Rs 20 crore.

Similarly, a pedal boating facility introduced in a pond of the park in the past was suspended during Covid-19 pandemic. It was not resumed since then. Visitors and children are upset over the disinterest of officials in creating recreational activities in the park. They requested the officials to take steps to give a face-lift to the lung space and convert it into a tourist centre.

Gandhari Vanam is not just an urban forest park, but it is a paradise to fitness freaks, morning joggers and nature lovers from not only Mancherial, but Kyathanpalli, Koteshwaraopalli, Kurmapalli, Thimmapur and Bokkalagutta. It has a 3-kilometer walking track used by the joggers and aspirants of police jobs every day. It is equipped with a yoga shed.

The morning joggers said that they were facing inconvenience due to weed and waste plants grown on either side of the track. They urged officials to take steps to clear the weed. They wanted a security guard to prevent entry of unauthorized persons who tend to booze and dump garbage on the premises of the park.

District Forest Officer Shiv Aasheesh Singh said that efforts were being made to create basic amenities and to introduce recreational activities at the park for the convenience of visitors. He stated that they were collaborating with voluntary organisations to roll out the activities soon.