Dhodap adventure zone to be operational by Diwali

DHODAP/HATTI: Adventure enthusiasts have a reason to rejoice. The east division of the district forest department has developed an adventure zone in Hatti village at the base of Dhodap fort to fulfill the adrenaline rush sought by many a daredevil in Nashik and the surrounding areas. Seventy kilometres from Nashik, the zone has been developed with the help of an adventure sports organisation that trained 20 forest officials and seven villagers as guides.The centre will be open for tourists from Diwali.
More youth will be trained for the adventure zone which will be maintained by the joint forest management committee (JFMC).
Designed by Mumbai-based architect Rahul Samel, the Dhodap Adventure Zone will be a hub for exciting adventure sports activities. The green cover in the region is being revived for the past three years with the local youth pitching to ban deforestation and grazing while planting and maintaining trees. With this activity the forest department aims at providing employment to the local youth.
“We are still in the process of training the youth and will gradually hand the centre to them once they are capable of handling it. The rock climbing wall has been erected not just for adventure but also to show how enemies used to climb the fort during the Peshwa period,” said Samel. “We will also have a nature interpretation centre (NIC), a restaurant, a dormitory with 20 beds each for men and women. Some tents will also be provided and tourists can get a taste of the local food and culture here.”
The attractions at the adventure zone include a 20-obstacle race that has to be completed in six minutes and includes jumping and balancing heavy loads in the hands. The obstacles include a running track, Trazan swing, commando net, horizontal swing, sideways swing, zigzag beam, horizontal ladder, wall barriers, tyre bridge, zig-zag swing hopper, tyre wall, barrel crossing, tyre crossing, chimpanzee swing, island hopper, hand walker and double walls.
Other attractions include zip line, 30ft climbing wall, 30ft rappelling wall and the Burma bridge.
“Generally such kinds of activities are undertaken by the Army personnel,” he said.
Such is his spirit, that even the 92-year-old sarpanch of Hatti village, Bhimasingh Pardeshi, took part in the adeventure activities here.
“Even though they are educated, the local youth are unemployed. This activity is a good source of income for them,” said Pardeshi.
The entry and parking fees will be collected by the villagers and the revenue thus earned will be used for managing and maintaining this adventure zone. Besides, catering and lodging will also be provided by the villagers to the tourists.
“The total cost of the project is Rs 2.32 crore and we have spent Rs 1.19 crore till June. We got seven-acre land from the gram panchayat for this project. We are trying to open the adventure zone for public by Diwali,” said chief conservator of forests (territorial), Nashik Circle, Arvind Patil.
About the poor condition of the road from Vadali Bhoir to Hatti village, he said that he would request the zilla parishad to do the needful.
ZP member Balasaheb Mali said, “We will provide the necessary infrastructure. The whole village will also be concretised. The work will start next week.”
Patil said that he would also try to arrange two vehicles from the main road to the adventure zone to facilitate the tourists.
“We have not yet fixed the rate for the entry fee for the adventure zone. We will have one package with food and the another without food,” said Patil.