Nagarjunsagar

Nagarjunsagar

INTRODUCTION

With an area of 356,000 hectares and sprawling over five districts of central Andhra Pradesh, the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is the largest tiger reserve in the country. It has also been one of the largest wildlife habitations in the country. Off the regular tourist circuit, a visit to the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve helps in gaining a closer look into a forest that was almost given up as lost until a few years ago. It is not possible to see the entire reserve at one go but one trip can always lead to another.

LOCATION

The sanctuary lies in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the catchment area of the Krishna River. The region comprises five districts of the state namely Kurnool, Prakasam, Guntur, Nalgonda and Mahboobnagar. The sanctuary extends between latitude 16°15¢-16°45¢ in the North and longitude 78°45¢-80°00¢ in the East. It is surrounded by the Nallamalai Hills on the southern and eastern side while the Krishna River forms the boundary on the other side. The sanctuary is 13 km from Macherial.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The climate of this region is hot and arid. Summer months are especially unbearable with the maximum temperature going above 40°C in the moths of March-June. Winters are pleasant with the minimum temperature hovering around 10°C. Rains are brought about by the southwest monsoon that prevails from June to October.