The woods are lovely dark and deep but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep…
The meandering ghat roads leading to the hills and valleys in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district seem to remind tourists of these famous lines of Robert Frost.
The occasional sub-zero temperatures at Lammasingi, popularly known as Lambasingi, and single-digit temperatures in the hilly areas of the district, draw tourists in droves during the winter. No wonder, all hotels, lodges, and even rooms and tents hired by the local people are in great demand during the season.
The tourist train to Araku, which passes through tunnels and picturesque valleys, is a must on the itinerary of tourists travelling from Visakhapatnam. Lack of accommodation on this train is forcing them to look for buses being operated by the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC).
Though a private chopper service from Vizag to Araku was mooted a few years ago, to cash in on the huge demand, it did not take off reportedly due to lack of clearances from various government agencies.
While Araku, which has a good number of hotels and lodges, has been a popular destination of tourists for several decades, Lambasingi has gained prominence during the last couple of decades after sub-zero temperatures were reported there during the late 1990s. Visitors used to beat a hasty retreat, during the early days, due to lack of accommodation.
On an average, around 500 tourists visit Lambasingi on weekdays and double the number on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A few resorts and scores of ‘temporary’ accommodations have come up with bamboo fencing and makeshift toilets here.
APTDC resorts
The APTDC has four modern non-AC tented rooms at Lambasingi which cost ₹1,500 each on weekdays and ₹2,000 from Friday to Sunday. The Haritha Hill Resort of APTDC is at an advanced stage of completion. Once opened, it would provide an additional eight air-conditioned luxury rooms and three deluxe rooms, say sources. Meena Hill Resorts, which opened last year, has 16 rooms with modern facilities. “Our rooms are full during weekends but during weekdays, accommodation is generally available,” says a representative of the hotel.
While tribal people are permitted to set up temporary accommodation or give their guest rooms on rent to tourists, even non-tribals are pitching tents to take advantage of the ‘roaring business’ due to lack of accommodation during the peak season. The rent can be as high as ₹4,000 per night, according to local people.
The fog, chilly weather and the scenic hills and valleys are a delight for tourists who take pictures and videos and post them on social media and blogs to share their exhilarating experience with their friends and relatives.
Risk of accidents
While the passing fog and the sylvan surroundings give a unique experience to tourists, the dense fog and the blind curves on the ghat roads to the Agency are turning out to be death traps, leading to road accidents. A young couple had set out with their friends on three motorcycles to catch the dawn at Lambasingi a few weeks ago. They had put up at Narsipatnam, 30 km away, due to the lack of accommodation at Lambasingi. They started before dawn on the ghat road. Unfortunately, the bike on which the couple was going met with an accident and they died on the spot.
Lowest temperatures
This season’s lowest temperature of 5 degree Celsius was recorded by RARS at Chintapalli on December 24 (as on that day). The minimum temperature is expected to fall even further with the lowest temperatures generally recorded in December and January in the Agency areas.
The lowest December temperatures recorded at RARS in the last 20 years are 0.4° Celsius on Dec. 24, 1996; 1° C on Dec. 30, 1998; 1.5° C on Dec. 31, 2018 and 2° C on Dec. 15, 2000; and in January 0.0° C on Jan. 6, 1992; 1° C on Jan. 5, 1999; Jan. 17, 2003 and Jan. 15, 2012; and 1.5° C on Jan. 3 and 4, 2008. The temperatures on all these occasions at Lambasingi are estimated to be sub-zero.
Woes of local people
While tourists coming on short trips are enjoying the chilly weather, the local people are finding it hard to perform their daily chores in the biting cold. “The sun can be seen up in the sky only after 9 a.m. in winter. Cold winds blow across the Agency areas all through the day. The sun goes down by around 4 p.m. We can’t use hot water for every need and touching normal water is like putting our hand in the freezer,” says R.V. Ramanamma, a teacher at Chowdupalli school of Chintapalli mandal.
