With its scenic splendour of nature Kaudiya is not attracting many tourists because of the absence of facilities in this place. To boost tourism in this area, the department concerned had sent a work proposal to the State administration which is yet to approve the same.
Situated near Jadipani along the Chamba-Mussoorie motor road, Kaudiya has abundant scenic beauty with its jungles of deodar, oak and rhododendron. Despite the natural beauty of this area, the number of tourist footfalls here has remained limited with its tourism potential yet to be capitalised upon. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2010 the State Forest Department had initiated the measures needed to develop Kaudiya on the lines of the Dhanaulti eco-park in order to boost its revenue income. As part of these measures, the forest department made paths for tourists wanting to trek in the jungle and some view points were also marked to enhance the tourist experience here. An amount was also finalised as charge for recreational visit to the jungle and fee for parking vehicles. As a result, in the initial phase some tourists did venture towards Kaudiya but the income generation from tourism development could not be taken further due to the lack of facilities here. According to official sources, the forest department had been submitted earlier to the State administration wherein huts, swings, seating arrangements and other facilities for tourists were proposed to be developed at a cost of about Rs one crore. However, with nothing concrete being done on this proposal so far, the tourism potential of Kaudiya remains untapped so far.
It should be noted here that Kaudiya is spread across more than 10 square kilometer area. The area has dense forests that sustain a wide range of wildlife with wild animals including leopards, sambar, bear and dozens of other mammal and avian species. The forested valleys of this area also attract some rare species of birds.
Talking to The Pioneer, the Tehri forest range officer Nl Dobhal said that a plan had been drafted for developing Kaudiya on the lines of the eco-park set up in Dhanaulti. The department has sought the required budget from the state administration. Work on the developmental plan to boost tourism will be started after the budget approval is received from the state administration, he added.