Andhra’s Ooty gearing up for summer visitors

Horsley Hills, the famous hill resort of Andhra Pradesh, which is also known as the ‘Andhra Ooty’, is gearing up to receive hordes of visitors this summer.

To provide convenience to the tourists, developmental works, worth Rs 1.25 crore, are in full swing and will be completed very soon. Among these works, the Tourism Department has taken up the works worth Rs 75 lakh, while the Forest Department is spending Rs 50 lakh.

Standing at a height of 4,312 feet above sea level, the hill station is the perfect place for weekend getaway.

Horsley Hills hosts perfect weather, pristine air, panoramic views of the surrounding hillocks and dense forest and it makes this place a visual treat for the visitors. It has many sightseeing spots to attract the tourists. The Environmental Park, Gaali Banda (wind rock), Kalyani Tree, Lake Gangotri, Manas Sarovar among others are worth a visit.

AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has 54 rooms/cottages at Horsley hills including the Governor’s Bungalow and it is just 28 kilometres away from Madanapalle. The Department is spending Rs 50 lakh towards the upgradation of some of these rooms and cottages.

All the guest houses/rooms will have advanced illumination and modern furnishing. Works are underway to arrest the seepage in the old block also. Another Rs 25 lakh is being spent on water pumping works.

A special concentration is also laid on the adventure activities to attract all age groups and the Department is getting two new All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) here to provide an adrenaline rush to the visitors.

“APTDC has two conference halls, which provide packages for pleasure-cum-official trips. They have health spa, swimming pool, Ayurveda massages. Tourists can spend time here comfortably with all activities and entertainment,” RV Suresh Kumar Reddy, Divisional Manager of APTDC said.

“We are getting revenue of Rs 35-40 lakh per month from Horsley Hills. Also, we recorded a growth in income by getting more than Rs 1 crore additionally this year compared to the previous year,” he informed.

To make the vistas more colourful the Forest Department is spending Rs 50 lakh on various developmental works like beautification, landscaping, greenery, carpet grass, plantation, rose garden, etc.

“We are increasing the storage capacity of Manas Sarovar tank. Gangotri tank, which is in the midst of the forest, is being developed to provide water to animals so that they should not come onto the roads for water. A new viewpoint is also built in the forest.

We also have a mini zoo which houses ducks, crocodiles, emu birds, deer, star tortoise among others,” Madanapalle V Madhava Rao, Forest Range Officer said.

By: V Pradeep Kumar