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Environmentalists, NGOs oppose tourism in tribal areas of Dallapalli valley in Andhra
Known for its serene climate, pristine landscape and waterfalls, Dallapalli has been on the tourist circuit map of erstwhile Visakhapatnam, about 15 km from Paderu.
A proposal of the Andhra Pradesh tourism department to construct tourism resorts on the picturesque Dallapalli valley in the tribal area of Paderu, the headquarters of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, has evoked a strong protest from environmentalists and NGOs.
Known for its serene climate, pristine landscape and waterfalls, Dallapalli has been on the tourist circuit map of erstwhile Visakhapatnam, about 15 km from Paderu. Though it was proposed to be developed as a major tourism destination way back in 2015, it was put on hold due to a case filed by Dhatri, a local NGO working on women and children of Adivasis, in the Andhra Pradesh high court in August 2017.
In a complaint lodged with the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on Wednesday, popular environmentalist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma said the state government was planning to revive the construction of tourism resorts in Dallapalli area, without taking the mandatory consent of the gram sabhas of the local tribal hamlets.
He said Dallapalli was 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.
“In the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the tourists in that area due to promotion of Dallapalli by the state tourism department. Due to lack of surveillance and control by the authorities, the tourists have damaged the area by consuming liquor and throwing liquor and plastic bottles in the area. Such kind of tourism invading the local culture has ruined the otherwise pleasant atmosphere,” Sarma told HT.
He said the commercialisation of natural splendour in the scheduled areas would lead to destruction of the lush-green forests and adversely impact the livelihood of the hapless tribals.
Bhanumathi Kalluri of Dhatri said local tribal people had strongly resisted the attempts of the tourism department to develop Dallapalli as a tourist destination and took out rallies in 2017.
“The tourism department says it is developing only eco-tourism in the area. But it doesn’t have any policy in this regard. There are no guidelines for tourists and no waste management efforts. More than anything else, the department has not taken any consent from the tribals,” Kalluri said.
She said the inhabitants of these tribal hamlets belong to Khonds, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), who are facing the risk of infections from the tourists visiting from various parts of the state and the country. “Tourists are trampling over the agricultural lands of these tribals who are unable to cultivate their agricultural lands,” she said.
She alleged gthat the villages around Dallapallai are facing constant pressure by commercial interest groups to sell their land for tourism resorts through benami transactions.
Sarma appealed to the NCST to intervene and advise the state government to put a total stop to this tourist activity and also enforce the provisions of the PESA.
Andhra Pradesh state tourism development corporation chairman A Varaprasad Reddy could not be contacted by this newspaper for his reaction in spite of repeated attempts.
