Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Konni eco-tourism project launch on February 1

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Kodiyeri and Viswom to inaugurate the project on February 1 Kodiyeri and Viswom to inaugurate the project

WOOING TOURISTS: Elephants in front of the newly constructed elephant kraal at the Elephant Camp in Konni.

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Elephant Camp at Konni is all spruced up for the ceremonial launch of an ambitious eco-tourism project.

The departments of forest and tourism have jointly developed an eco-tourism centre at the nine-acre Elephant Camp which could act as a base station facilitating various tourism activities in the region which is blessed with verdant forests and other splendours of nature.

According to K.J. Varughese, Conservator of Forests, Forest Minister Benoy Viswom and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, would jointly inaugurate the project on February 1.

The eco-tourism project in Konni was thoroughly nature-based, ecologically sustainable, education and interpretation-oriented and beneficial to the local people, he said. The department was planning to run the project by engaging the local Vana Samrakshana Samitis attached to the Forest Development Agency.

Work on the proposed elephant museum, mini-theatre, administrative block, mahouts' retiring rooms, shops that sell forest produce, cafeteria, elephant shelters and biogas plant was over, he said.

The eco-tourism centre would provide elephant safari for the visitors from February 2, said Forest Range Officer P.K. Jayakumar Sarma. Jungle trekking, a major feature of the eco-tourism project, would begin in the second week of February. Rock climbing and river rafting would also be introduced in a phased manner.

Mr. Varughese said the Forest Department was planning an elephant museum at the proposed natural history museum-cum-interpretation centre at the Elephant Camp which could be developed into a research centre in future.

The museum would display skeleton of an adult elephant, photographs and models depicting historic as well as religious evolution of elephants, thematic presentations, etc.

A total of Rs.87 lakh was spent on the first phase of the eco-tourism project estimated at a total of Rs.289 lakh. The other schemes proposed included renovation of a heritage building at Naduvathummoozhy (Rs.35 lakh), tree-top huts and bathing ghats (Rs.30 lakh) and development of trekking paths (Rs.12 lakh).

The project was expected to generate Rs. 33.84 lakh annually by way of various fees from visitors

Zero-waste centre

Mr. Varughese said the Elephant Camp would be the first `zero-waste location' of its kind in the whole country. The fibre segregated from the elephant dung would be used for making paper at a unit proposed at the camp. The dung would also be utilised for making biogas. A plastic recycling unit would be set up at the centre for recycling the plastic waste collected from the camp and the surrounding areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Konni eco-tourism project launch on February 1

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu