Tourism development in scheduled area opposed

Commercialisation of natural splendour in the scheduled areas near Paderu, the headquarters of ASR district and ITDA will lead to destruction of the lush-green forests and adversely impact the livelihood of the hapless tribals

Visakhapatnam: The decision of the Tourism Department of Andhra Pradesh to revive development of Dallapalli valley known for its panoramic landscape and serene climate in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district near here has kicked up a row.

The government following a court case filed by an NGO activist Bhanumuti in 2017 had put under abeyance the plan to develop a resort with an investment of Rs 5 crore.

In a complaint lodged to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma stated that the commercialisation of natural splendour in the scheduled areas near Paderu, the headquarters of ASR district and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) will lead to destruction of the lush-green forests and adversely impact the livelihood of the hapless tribals.

He had earlier represented to the NCST on the unilateral decisions taken by the Tourism Department to set up structures and allow tourists at a remote, hilly village of Dallapalli in Paderu subdivision of erstwhile Visakhapatnam district.

The villages near Dallapalli are a part of the area notified under the Fifth Schedule, where both the PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act) and the FRA (Forest Rights Act) are applicable and the local gram sabhas stand empowered to take decisions on schemes, projects and other economic activity that could impinge on their lives.

Sarma said any decision taken by the government, without prior interaction with the gram sabhas, would be prima facie illegal. The tourism activity in question, which violates the PESA, would thus be considered illegal, he pointed out.

He stated in an email sent to NCST on Wednesday that "the kind of tourism that is permitted by the Tourism Department, based on tourists camping in the scheduled areas, consuming liquor and behaving in a manner that infringes on the local culture, as evident from the pictures I had submitted to the NCST on expensive liquor bottles, plastic wastes etc. strewn all around, shows how invasive such tourism could be."

He said despite his innumerous letters to the State Government and interventions made on behalf of the NCST, the concerned officers of the State apparently are insensitive to the sentiments of the local tribal communities, seem to be obsessed with this kind of tourism, indifferent to the fact that they are in violation of the PESA.

There are several locations within the scheduled areas of united Visakhapatnam district (now reorganised as Anakapalli and ASR districts), where this kind of intrusive tourism activity has proliferated and has posed a serious threat to the culture of the local tribal communities. One such prominent location is at Lambasingi in the Paderu subdivision, he said and urged NCST to stop such objectionable intrusions made by the tourists there.