Dharmasagar reservoir will soon become tourist center of Hanamkonda

He doesn’t love her: Thanks to the efforts of the Kakatia Urban Development Authority (KUDA), the Dharmasagar reservoir is one of the attractions near Hanamkonda and will soon become a major tourist hub for the area.

As part of the attraction development programme, KUDA will undertake the development of the bund, seating arrangements, lighting, landscaping and toilets at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore for the first phase.

“Work will start soon. We will develop a two-kilometer bund,” said KUDA Project Officer (PO) E Ajit Reddy.

“Contractors have to complete the works within six months of the commencement of the works,” he added.

The Dharmasagar reservoir is about 25 kilometers from the district headquarters, next to the hills of the Devunoor forest area. Mupparam tank and Kakatiya era Muppirinadha or Mukyandha Swamy temple near this place is the only main lung space in Hanamkonda district as it is the only forested area. Although the forestry and tourism departments had planned to turn the area into an eco-tourism hub, it didn’t come to fruition sooner.

However, KUDA vice-chairman P Pravinya is said to be keen to develop the place as a tourist attraction for the benefit of city dwellers and tourists from afar.

KUDA plans to invest at least Rs 100 crore in phases to develop the reservoir into a major tourism hub. A cableway for cars and cabins for tourist accommodation are also planned.

Environmental activist and Vana Seva Society (VSS) founder Potlapally Veerabhadra Rao welcomed the move but also urged the state government to protect the Devanoor forest block from invaders.

“There is a proposal to declare the Devanoor Forest area as a Reserve Forest (RF). The matter is pending notification by the District Authority under Section 4 of the Telangana Forest Act,” he added.