TGFDCL plans resorts, eco-projects near tourist hotspots

The TGFDCL is planning to acquire revenue lands near tourist attractions to develop eco-tourism projects, citing challenges in using forest lands. The initiative includes resorts, eco-friendly facilities, and recreational infrastructure across districts such as Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam, Medak, and Nizamabad.

Adilabad: Telangana Forest Development Corporation Limited (TGFDCL) is mulling to develop ecotourism projects in revenue lands near popular tourist spots as part of promoting ecotourism across the State.

The TGFDCL is exploring various ways to promote ecotourism by developing innovative projects in different parts of Telangana. Accordingly, it is planning to buy revenue lands adjoining tourist spots to construct resorts on these lands in order to attract tourists and to generate revenue. It is apparently focusing on revenue lands for creating projects since using forest lands has its own challenges namely delay in getting permission to establish the projects in reserve forests.

---

The corporation has intensified efforts to identify revenue lands around potential attractions in erstwhile Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam, Medak, Nizamabad and other districts. It is consulting revenue officials to locate suitable lands to develop ecotourism initiatives. It is approaching concerned officials to determine the extent and nature of revenue lands picked tentatively for proposed projects.

In order to provide state-of-the art tourism infrastructure and experiences for the tourists, nature enthusiasts and researchers, eco-friendly accommodation facilities, interpretation centres, view decks, watch towers, eco-mobility systems, native landscapes, coffee shops, recreational activities are going to be created by hiring professional planners and architects. Ecotourism spots such as forests, lakes, reservoirs, hillocks and ecologically significant habitats have been selected for development.

Incidentally, the corporation recently issued a notice inviting e-Tenders or expression of interest (EoI) for empanelment of master planning and architectural consultancy services firms for development of eco-tourism projects at various locations by April 7. However, the notice is learned to have invoked a poor response from the firms prompting officials to announce another date for submission of tenders and Expressions of Interest (EoI).

According to the notice, the empanelled firms will be roped in for preparing detailed master plans for the proposed projects including internal roads, water supply, sewage and electrical system, fire fighting, surveillance, public mobility plan and crowd management, etc. They will develop architectural landscape, infrastructure designs, disaster and wildlife-human conflict mitigation plans as well.

The selected firms will be engaged to provide planning and design inputs for necessary forest and environmental clearances. They will have to extend support to implement the tourism projects, the notice mentioned.