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Monday, May 30, 2011

Eco-tourism project at Konni to get a facelift

PATHANAMTHITTA: The eco-tourism project launched by the Forest Department at Konni four years ago is to get a facelift with the department deciding to launch the second phase of the project.

Official sources told The Hindu on Saturday that steps would be taken to set up a children's park and butterfly park at the elephant camp.

Construction of a compound wall, proper lighting of the elephant camp, streamlining elephant safari with a view to attracting more tourists are the other thrust areas in the second phase.

The eco-tourism project, developed jointly by the departments of Forests and Tourism, at the nine-acre elephant camp was launched in January 2007, making it a base station facilitating various eco-tourism activities in the region.

Source :- The Hindu May 30, 2011

The camp at present houses modern elephant shelters, elephant kraal, photo gallery, biogas plant, retiring rooms for mahouts, and shops selling forest produce.

Absence of entertainment facilities for children and ‘lack' of entrepreneurship on the part of the authorities seem to have affected the prospects of the park.

Butterfly park

The butterfly park will have a polycarbonate dome suitably designed for weather control.

According to the sources, the park will be home to hundreds of colourful butterflies, including rare species, especially at a time when the butterfly population is under threat due to depleting green cover.

Certain species of butterflies are on the verge of extinction and the proposed park has got much significance in this context.

Conservatory

A conservatory, museum, and an audio-visual room aimed at creating awareness among the visitors of biodiversity and a breeding house displaying metamorphosis of a butterfly will be the major attractions.

The department is planning to convert an old inspection bungalow on the banks of the Achencoil river in the forests at Naduvathumoozhy into a heritage interpretation centre as part of the eco-tourism project.

Elephant ride

Though the camp houses five elephants, the department has been conducting the elephant ride using a female elephant, Priyadarshni.

Tree-top huts have been planned at the elephant camp to lure more tourists as part of the second phase of the project. This is besides the proposals for jungle treks, rock climbing and river rafting.

Construction of an open-air theatre and a pond for bathing the captive elephants are the other schemes to be implemented at the camp.

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