Khammam; A unique 375-acre urban forest park will soon be opened in Sattupalli forest range. Unlike other parks, the one in Sattupalli will make the people feel like they are in a forest.
The Sattupalli park will have peacocks, sambar, spotted deer and wild boar apart from different species of birds and — unlike in other places — people can watch the wildlife from a see-through wall, erected together with an iron wire fence over 1.4 kilometre, apart while travelling on an 8-km gravel road.
Forest officials also built a pagoda and watch tower. There are hundreds of varieties of trees and a natural water tank. Officials have raised flower saplings along a 2-km walking track.
The Sattupalli forest range covers 44,000 acres including 10,000 acres of the Annapureddypalli forest. Wildlife thrives in the park though the open cast mines are close by.
The forest park was developed with about Rs 80 lakh from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and and `50 lakh from Haritha Haram. The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) provided Rs 20 lakh.
The Velugumatla urban forest park does not have wildlife but the Sattupalli forest park does. The Sattupalli forest has a selfie point. Twelve bicycles have been provided for those who want to go cycling. Battery cars have been provided for those who will not be able to walk.
Forest range officer Venkateswarlu said that the Sattupalli forest park had various salient features including wildlife which can be easily seen. There will be 20 ’rachabanda’ places to sit in the park, he said.
“There is no other park in Telangana which provides such a feast to the eyes. One can understand the richness of wildlife that a tiger has visited the area,” Venkateswarlu said, referring to reports of tiger pugmarks being found about 2 km from Satupalli.
