Karregutta (Telangana-Chhattisgarh): For residents of Telangana who are fond of forest treks, they need not go all the way to Karnataka or Tamil Nadu for getting their adrenaline rush. Karregutta Hills on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, which was till recently a blood-soaked war zone between security agencies and the Maoists, is being planned as a major tourism destination with adventure activities.Two days after Telangana director general of police CV Anand declared the possibility of exploring tourism in Karregutta, it is learnt that forest department officials held a meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss the proposal on Karregutta sent by the district administration.Mulugu district officials have prepared a plan to welcome tourists to this unexplored area. They mentioned that Doli Gutta in Karregutta is the highest altitude point in Telangana at 965 metres.“Apart from trekking through the dense forest, the first set of facilities being proposed is kayaking in the streams of Godavari River, rappelling, creating access paths to waterfalls, arranging a watch tower and a few other adventures. Suitable locations are being explored near Karregutta to construct cottages and resorts for tourists to stay in. Many of the planned adventure features will be at Doli Gutta. The local population will be allowed to set up eateries and other kiosks to help them earn livelihood,’’ sources said.“The proposal is subject to govt nod. The areas where tourists are authorised to access have to be sanitised by the police in order to make sure they are 100% explosive-free. Though bomb disposal squads have removed hundreds of bombs, occasionally we are coming across explosives that were planted earlier by Maoists,’’ Telangana police officers told TOI.On Monday, the DGP, Mulugu district superintendent of police Sudhir Ramnath Kekan, and district forest officer Vikas Meena took stock of the under-construction 20-kilometre temporary road at Karregutta.It is learnt that some of the practices followed in Meghalaya, like making a local guide mandatory, are being studied to accommodate surrendered naxals from the local tribal community in getting employment.
