Earth Protect Blog

Kerala - Prone to fires and fast turning into a dumping yard, Thodukappukinnu at the entrance to the Mannarkkad Forest Division on the Perinthalmanna-Palakkad stretch of the national highway, could soon see a makeover as an ecotourism destination.

Having recovered the area after long litigation, the forest department doesn’t intend to let it deteriorate further.
“Thodukappukinnu is prone to fires and susceptible to encroachments. It has been converted into a dumping yard for chicken waste and other rubbish.
Being by the side of the main road, it is also turning into a den of anti-social elements,” says forest planting officer, C. Sasikumar.

Determined to change things, the forest department has come up with the idea of turning it into an ecotourism destination and has set up a Vana Samrakshana Samiti (VSS) with locals on board to make its plan a reality.

The land is home to bamboo and species like irul, chadachi, pezhu, punna, thanni, arampuli, vellanava, venga, kazhani and maruthu.

The VSS will make sure that people on their way from the Karipur airport, Kozhikode, Mannarkkad or Palakkad have a comfortable stopover here.

On the cards is a snack bar, a one-km long trekking trail, a parking area and a comfort station, which will be accessible for nominal rates.

Travellers will receive information on the Silent Valley National Park, Siruvani, Nelliyampathy and Parambikulam among other forest destinations and how to get there in booklets, according to Mr Sasikumar.

By Nadeesh Kareemadathil

original article