The Hindu : Kerala News : Destination development at Neyyar Dam Tourism Trail

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Destination development at Neyyar Dam Tourism Trail

Photo — S. Gopakumar.

For a facelift: Neyyar Dam in Thiruvananthapuram.

The idyllic Neyyar Dam, near Thiruvananthapuram, is to be developed into a full-fledged destination by the Tourism Department by setting up modern facilities for tourists.

The Rs.3.02-crore project, being taken up under the Destination Development Scheme of the Union Ministry of Tourism, was kicked off by Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Thursday.

The Neyyar Dam has a crocodile park in the name of Steve Irwin and a Lion Safari Park. “The project, expected to be completed in two years, will give the place a facelift and make it a full-fledged tourism destination,” a senior Tourism Department official said.

A facilitation centre, toilet blocks, a boat landing facility, a meeting hall, development of roads, landscaping and lighting are the main works to be taken up under the scheme.

The entrance will feature a ‘kottiyambalam’ and will be constructed at a cost of Rs.8 lakh. Tourists entering through the main gate will be led to the general parking complex and the proposed 1,500 square feet facilitation centre.

‘Back to heritage’ will be the landscaping theme. The area in between the canals will have a garden with fountains, stone pathways and benches. These works are estimated to cost Rs.29 lakh. The down stream area will be landscaped with meadows, with shading and flowering trees interspersed.

The roads within the dam site will be developed at a cost of Rs.30 lakh. The boat-landing facility will be renovated and a children’s park will be set up. A 3,500 square feet conference hall will also be constructed.

Lights on 11-metre high masts will be provided at vantage points to enable tourists to remain in the park even after sunset. A traditional Kerala-style restaurant, to accommodate 100 persons; a new bridge across the main canal, conversion of the existing bridge into a pedestrian bridge, renovation of the swimming pool etc are also proposed in the plan worked out by ‘Vastushilpalaya.’

The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 128 sq. km. in size, forms the catchments of the dam. It is contiguous with the Kallikadu tiger reserve and the Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Agasthyamala and Meenmutty waterfalls form part of the sanctuary.

Tropical evergreens, mixed deciduous and sub-tropical savannahs make this sanctuary an ideal gene-pool preserve.

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

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