Page 28 - Unleashed BMM 2019-2020

PRABALMACHI:

WHERE TECHNOLOGY

AIDS NATURE

VIRANSH SHAH

By Viransh Shah

A holiday on a weekend, I may which included 25 homes and a the village and no visible sign of Nilesh started the noble work by
possibly sleep the whole day while population of roughly 160 people. the internet. With the help of this creating a blog in Marathi. The first
keeping the moving fan busy and Ten years ago, local people were course, he was introduced to web blog post about Prabalgad in 2009
could be inside my blanket as a completely dependent on goods browsing with basics to Adwords had more than 30000 number of
snail inside his shell, dreaming of produced by the forest. The main and SEO. This course helped him visitors to his website. Subse-
my graduation’s last days, instead business in those days used to be to get a Job in Ministry of Science quently, there was an increase in
of that I had planned for a trek to trade of wood and they had barter and Technology, Chennai as a Data the number of tourists. They had to
Prabalgad. It is located between system of ragi with rice as ragi was Operator in 2009. He recalls that increase the number of rooms to
Matheran and Panvel under the their staple crop. As we marched incident which made him dedicate six from the earlier three. More and
Raigad district of Maharashtra upwards, Nilesh narrated the story his time for forest, "I was working more visitors started pouring in es-
state. So sharp at 9:00 am, I was of his life so far. From staying one day and I searched my own pecially from cities of Mumbai and
standing with a friend of mine near away from home to returning back, village. However, I found reviews Pune for sight-seeing and camping
a white board which had read his journey comprised of boarding like 'Unavailability of food' and activities. Furthermore, Nilesh
“Welcome to Prabalgad”. schools and boys' hostels. and it was then when I thought along with a group of villagers met
As we started with our trek, we The turning point of his life came about it and decided to work for the with a number of trek organiza-
came across a person named when he decided to learn computer village." So, he took a leave and tions to promote the interests of
Nilesh Bhutambra. He lived in the and went for a Computer Operator decided to promote Prabalmachi Prabalgad village. The first such
nearby village named Prabalmachi Course in the year 2005. Such an and Prabalgad as the major tourist group to visit was Nisarg Mitra
which is located at the top of the importamt decision came at a time attraction and develop as well as who had visited for a cleanliness
Kalavantin, a 685m high peak. when there were no smartphones in preserve the serene holiday retreat. awareness. They posted their event
28 | UNLEASHED | 2019