Bird Hide Watch Tower to Boost Eco-Tourism at Mavala Park

ADILABAD: With migratory birds turning Mavala Park into a vibrant seasonal habitat every year, the Forest Department is setting up a special ‘Bird Hide Watch Tower’ to allow visitors to watch and photograph birds without disturbing their natural surroundings.

The watch tower is being constructed along the banks of the existing lake inside the famous urban forest park, officially known as Haritha Vanam. Forest officials said the structure would be designed in camouflage colours to blend naturally with the surroundings, ensuring that birds remain undisturbed while visitors observe them from a safe distance.

Mavala Park has emerged as a major habitat for migratory and local birds over the past few years. Migratory birds from Siberia arrive at the park between October and February for breeding and later return to their native habitats along with their offspring.

Forest officials said unrestricted human movement inside the forest often disturbs birds during nesting and breeding seasons. The proposed watch tower would therefore help bird watchers, photographers and tourists enjoy bird watching without affecting the habitat.

Forest beat officer of Chinchughat and additional in-charge of Mavala Park B. Venkatesh said the Bird Hide Watch Tower was being constructed mainly for the convenience of bird watchers while ensuring protection of the birds’ habitat. He said the construction would be completed by June.

Adilabad forest range officer Gulab Singh said nearly 150 species of colourful migratory and local birds had been identified around the lake and forest areas of Mavala Park. He said bird watchers greatly enjoyed observing the birds’ movements, sounds and chirping, which offered a unique experience amid nature.

Spread across nearly 1,000 acres, the forest area on the left side of NH-44 between Mavala and Seethagondi was developed into a natural park in 2019 with an investment of ₹3 crore under the Haritha Vanam initiative. The park has since become a major attraction, especially during the monsoon and winter seasons.

The tourism department is also preparing plans to further develop Mavala Park by introducing boating, floating resorts and restaurants. Proposals have already been submitted to the department. Recently, the forest department also launched safari vehicle rides for tourists visiting the park.

District collector Rajarshi Shah said efforts were being made to attract tourists visiting Maharashtra’s Thippeshwar and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves to spend time exploring tourist destinations in Adilabad district as well. He said the district administration was actively promoting local tourist spots through social media platforms.

Tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the government was preparing an action plan to develop a tourism circuit connecting important destinations in the erstwhile Adilabad district, including waterfalls, Kuntala Valley and Kawal Tiger Reserve.

Apart from birds, Mavala Park has also become a habitat for several wildlife species, including spotted deer, blackbucks, nilgai, wild dogs, striped hyenas and leopards. Forest officials said the recent sighting of a rare adult striped hyena in the park indicated improving wildlife diversity in the district.

Wildlife conservationists observed that striped hyenas were following migrating tigers from Maharashtra into the erstwhile Adilabad region, as they survive on carcasses left behind by tigers and leopards.