Koraput: In a bid to make Patadevi Hill at Janiguda on the outskirts of Koraput town a tourist spot, the forest department has been doing renovation work since last July.
The department has started a massive plantation drive on 19.5 hectares of the hilly area under Koraput tehsil. For the work, Rs 1 crore would be utilised from the Koraput Afforestation Scheme 2018-19 and from the Odisha Mining Corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds within three years, said Koraput forest ranger Subash Chandra Khuntia.
More than 25,000 types of decorative and medicinal plants have been planted around the hill in the last seven months, it was learnt.
Similarly, an 800-metre-long road connecting the top and the bottom of the hill was also laid. Besides, the forest department is planning a fruit garden, flower garden and a medicinal plant garden at the top of the hill. To attract the youth, selfie points would be built at various part of the site, officials said.
An open sky gym will also be constructed at the bottom of the hill for tourists and senior citizens. Drinking water facilities and electricity will be provided at the site, while the forest department has put up a boundary for the safety of the tourists, it was learnt.
The site is 2km away from the district headquarters.
PNN
