Bastar in Chattisgarh, once India’s biggest district, used to invite both fear and awe. Fear because of the unchecked Naxal insurgency (which now has subsided to a large extent) and awe for its natural wonders in the form of thick forests, rolling hills, meandering rivers and captivating waterfalls. Now, with the efforts of area District Collector Mr Rajat Bansal, Bastar is fast evolving with new destinations which were hitherto unexplored, and have the potential to attract niche adventure tourists who have an urge to discover the tribal culture, village life and raw nature.
This district, which lies in the south of Chhattisgarh did not tradionally carry a good perception among the people visiting it, mainly because of the Maoist-Naxal insurgency and the past few disturbing incidents. Now such activities are only constrained to two percent of the district, but people at large are still unaware of the developments taken place here.
This is another reason why Mr. Bansal is taking various steps to bring out a positive image of Bastar for the people which will eventually prove instrumental in its overall development. Not only this, but with huge community mobilization, he is also directly providing benefits to the people of the district.
AN EMERGING TOURIST DESTINATION
Speaking to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Bansal said “People now have an outlook for more eco-friendly and natural spots like jungles, waterfalls, etc. and other virgin territories which are untouched and unexplored. Luckily, there is an abundance of such adventure spots in Bastar, which we are now bringing out in the eyes of the public.”
“Moreover, the people residing in the district are very hospitable, simple, and filled with warmth. This will also be an advantage as tourists will like such behaviour among the locals. Lastly, there is also an adventure element associated with Bastar, are we are promoting it through activities like paramotoring, rappelling, rock climbing, trekking, etc.,” he added.
Walking his talk, Mr Bansal himself roped down a cliff and marked the accessibility of such activities in the district!
COMMUNITY MOBALIZATION
The plan to make Bastar a potential tourism hotspot in Chhattisgarh is being carried out in several phases. In the first phase, a huge community mobilization drive is being conducted where the objective of the district administration is to train around 500 people at 30 different locations. The training will focus on providing basic hospitality, food, culture, craft, adventure activities, which will be area-specific.
These steps will hopefully generate more ideas as to other possible developments which can be brought to a particular destination of Bastar. It’s for the first time in the district that such efforts are being made in on community tourism model, and with a large involvement of the local population.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
In the second phase, after the community mobilization, the administration is planning to develop the tourist destinations and infrastructure- catering to those who come for a day only and those with a longer schedule. For the day visitors, the administration is providing basic facilities like eateries, shelters, sitting arrangements, toilets and drinking water facilities etc.
For the tourists planning for a night stay and more, the administration is planning to build 50 to 100 homestays and camping sites, where they can spend quality time in the thick of nature. This infrastructure development is likely to be completed in a year or so.
ATTRACTING TOURISTS
The last phase of the initiative launched by Mr Bansal is to attract more tourists and make them aware of the activities which are being provided in Bastar. For this, he is creating a web portal containing extensive information about tourist destinations.
A `calling service’ is also on the cards, to help out the tourists. For this, guidance will be provided by people who will create an itinerary for the tourists and help them in routing their trip properly. Mr Bansal’s initiative will not only give the much-required face-lift to the exquisite Bastar but also provide platforms to its people to improve their lot.
