A scenic Tundi on Monday morning. Picture by Gautam Dey

Bokaro/Dhanbad, Oct. 5: Tourism to beat Naxalism. The district forest departments of Dhanbad and Bokaro are adopting this mantra to get the better of Maoists in Tundi and Tenughat.

The departments are developing these Naxalite zones into tourist hubs to draw people and, at the same time, create more and more jobs for local residents to prevent them from drifting towards rebel ideologies. In fact, villagers of both places have already started earning extra bucks with the forest department helping them to set up shop or open eateries.

Taking the lead, Dhanbad officials, led by district forest officer (DFO) Sanjiv Kumar, have begun work on renovating two old, abandoned forest guesthouses in Benagaria and Maniadih of Tundi block. The guesthouses, where tourists used to once soak in the beauty of the rich flora and fauna of the region, have been lying unutilised for several years.

Once the overhaul is complete, the forest department will issue advertisements to invite tourists. But till that happens, Kumar is trying to develop these spots into trading centres. Rural folk, including women, have are already selling papads, sauces, pickles and even vegetable noodles at these two places.

Talking to The Telegraph, Kumar said: “We have been able to stop the exodus of local youths from this belt and prevent them from joining Maoist ranks by developing cottage industry and turning Benagaria and Maniadih into rural centres.

“Once tourists start to come, more revenue will be generated. What’s encouraging is that even women are earning now and contributing to the family’s income.”

Likewise, Tenughat Dam, about 55km from Bokaro steel city, and its adjacent areas are being developed into a rural tourism hub by forest officials of the district. Located in amidst dense forests on a hilly terrain, Tenughat Dam is the main water reservoir of the region, catering to about 5 lakh residents of Bokaro.

Though the district administration’s proposal to convert the existing irrigation building-cum-guest house to a tourist resort-cum-scenic garden is still awaiting a nod from forest department bosses in Ranchi, forest officials have started renting the building to tourists.

Besides, local residents have been allowed to open eateries and kiosks while women are selling fruits and vegetables near the reservoir. “We want to provide jobs to hundreds of unemployed local people,” said district forest officer of Bokaro R. Ranjan.