The Gudisa grassland with a full bloom of lavender-coloured flower plant of the Lamiaceae family is crying for protection from unregulated activities. Spread in hundreds of acres, the flower that blooms in winter in the Rampachodavarm Agency in East Godavari district, is a major tourist attraction.
Thousands of visitors, mostly nature lovers and photographers, reach the hilltop area by two-wheelers and cabs to spend a night in the reserve forest.
Forest staff are not posted at night, given the risks involved in deploying them in the forest.
Waterfalls
The grassland, about 45 km from Maredumilli town, has another attraction in the form of waterfalls.
In mid-December, this correspondent had accompanied Member Secretary (AP Biodiversity Board) P.V. Chalapathi Rao, during the latter’s visit to the Gudisa grassland and observed groups of tourists making campfires after collecting firewood from the trees.
Many of them had even pitched tents to make their stay comfortable.
“This is not the way to promote the Gudisa grassland. The activities of visitors which include preparation of food in stoves pose a threat to the unique grassland,” Mr. Chalapathi Rao told The Hindu.
A forest staff told The Hindu that a majority of tourists visit the grassland to enjoy the campfire and have a drink or two after an exhilarating bike ride in the forest.
Checkpost on the cards
Another forest staff on condition of anonymity said: “The Forest Department has chalked out plans to set up a checkpost down the hill at Vollangi, banning the night stay apart from charging an exorbitant price to gain entry into the grassland.” However, the plan is yet to take off.
Gudisa is the only grassland tourism destination in the State.
Unless tourism activity, particularly night-stay is regulated, the area will soon be a memory of the past.
