The Hindu, November 21, 2014
The Forest Department is planning to open Mathikettan, the pristine hill station in the Western Ghats, to visitors.
It
has made arrangements for trekking in the Mathikettan Shola National
Park under the Munnar wildlife division, providing visitors a facility
to stay in the forest.
Munnar Wildlife Warden G.
Prasad said the move was aimed at familiarising visitors with the rich
biodiversity of the shola, its flora and fauna, so that they could help
preserve it. Surrounded by the cardamom hill reserve, bordering Tamil
Nadu, Mathikettan has an area of 12.81 sq km. Its location between
Munnar and Thekkady makes it an ideal stopover. The neelakurinji
blossomed recently in the hills of Choondayi in Tamil Nadu, near here.
Mr.
Prasad said the promotion of ecotourism would aid the development of
local communities and make the drive to protect the shola more
effective. It would help reduce the tribal communities’ dependence on
the forest. The pressure of visitors to Munnar could also be reduced, he
said.
Forest trekking had been identified as one of
main activities in the itinerary of visitors from abroad, Mr. Prasad
said. Tribal youths from the eco-development society at Aduvilanthan
would acts as trekking guides. The youths had already been given
training, he said.
“It will provide employment and a
regular income to the tribal people,” Mr. Prasad said. Tourists would
stay at a log house named Spice Hut, which would allow them to be
experience the shola forest environment.
An
information centre had been opened at Santhanpara exclusively for the
promotion of Mathikettan as an eco-friendly hill destination, he said.
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