The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Eco-tourism at Parambikulam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 02, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Eco-tourism at Parambikulam

Staff Reporter

Revenue generated will be used for tribal welfare measures

Coimbatore: Kerala Forest Department is launching an eco-tourism package to improve living conditions of tribals in Parambikulam Sanctuary (near Topslip along the Tamil Nadu border). Deputy Conservator of Forests and Wildlife Warden Sanjayan Kumar told The Hindu that Kerala Forest Minister Benoy Viswam would launch the package on Saturday.

The Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservators and the elected representatives would participate in the function aimed at emancipating 1,300 tribals living in about 285 sq km sanctuary. Forest Development Agency and Eco Development Committees have evolved the package. Under the project, seven tented niches would be established at Anaippady, the sanctuary headquarters along the Tamil Nadu border where the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Top slip) boundary ends. The seven tents would accommodate 14 persons (with a centralised dining hall).

The project would provide the tribals jobs such as cooks and guides.

The entire revenue generated from this project would be pumped back into various tribal welfare measures.

The packaged tourism includes accommodation, food, trekking, guided tourism and tribal symphony in the evenings, connemara safari, bamboo rafting, bird watching and visits to orientation and interpretation centres and film shows on the flora and the fauna of Parambikulam sanctuary. All these facilities could be experienced in one day.

The function would also mark the launch of a website www.parambikulam.org giving an insight into the sanctuary. Tourists could contact 04253-245025 for advance booking .

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

Tamil Nadu