Jeypore, Sept 17 [UDN}:: Raniduduma, a picturesque tourist destination in Nandapur block of Koraput district, is gradually emerging as an attractive destination for visitors seeking to experience the natural beauty of the region. Surrounded by lush greenery and blessed with a cascading stream flowing down from the hills, the scenic location has been drawing increasing attention from tourists and nature lovers.
In a significant step towards women’s empowerment and community-based tourism, the responsibility for the maintenance and management of Raniduduma has been entrusted to local women belonging to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The initiative has provided rural women with an opportunity to participate directly in the management of a tourism destination while also creating avenues for regular income and economic self-reliance.
Women members of the SHG groups Mahalaxmi, Gangadevi Gopinath and Bhirabi are actively involved in various activities at the tourist site. Their responsibilities range from maintaining cleanliness and ensuring the overall upkeep of the area to extending necessary facilities and assistance to visitors. Through their active involvement, the administration is seeking to ensure that the tourist destination remains clean, welcoming and visitor-friendly.
The women are also managing the Aranya Café, which has been established at the site to provide food and refreshments to tourists. The café has created an additional livelihood opportunity for the SHG members, enabling them to earn income while working within their own locality.
The initiative is being viewed as an important example of how tourism development can be linked with women’s livelihood generation. Instead of having to migrate elsewhere in search of employment, women from rural communities are getting opportunities to earn within their own areas. This, in turn, is helping strengthen their financial independence and encouraging greater participation of women in local economic activities.
The SHG members are reportedly enthusiastic after being entrusted with the responsibility of managing Raniduduma. Their involvement not only gives them a source of livelihood but also provides them with a greater sense of ownership and responsibility towards the development and preservation of a tourism destination located in their own region.
The initiative has received appreciation from people in the locality, who believe that involving women’s groups in tourism management can simultaneously promote women’s empowerment, employment generation, cleanliness and sustainable tourism development.
Raniduduma’s natural landscape, including its hill streams and green surroundings, offers considerable potential for attracting tourists. With proper maintenance, improved visitor facilities and further infrastructure development, the destination could become an important tourism attraction in the Nandapur region and contribute to the local economy.
Patnagarh? Wait user says Pattangi MLA Ramchandra Kadam. Let’s correct: Pottangi MLA Ramachandra Kadam said efforts are continuing to undertake more developmental activities at Raniduduma in the coming days and transform the site into a more attractive and well-developed tourist destination.
The broader objective is to combine tourism promotion with local livelihood generation. By placing women’s Self-Help Groups at the centre of the management system, the district administration has created an example of participatory tourism development in which local communities can benefit directly from the growing flow of visitors.
The initiative is expected to encourage more rural women to take up income-generating activities and strengthen the role of SHGs in tourism-related services. At the same time, greater community participation could help preserve the cleanliness and natural character of Raniduduma while improving the overall experience of tourists.
With continued administrative support and additional development works, Raniduduma has the potential to emerge as a prominent nature-based tourism destination in Koraput district, while the involvement of SHG women could become a sustainable model of women-led tourism management and rural economic empowerment.
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