SRIKAKULAM: Besides the development of several tourism circuits in the Agency area, ITDA officials are also setting up Manyam Eco Park at an estimated cost of `2.67 crore, in an area of 15 acres at Seethampeta. In an attempt to provide practical knowledge on various natural and artificial resources to the students as well as research scholars, the ITDA administration has decided to set up the park at Seethampeta.
Manyam Eco Park will be the first of its kind in the State, which will disseminate knowledge. The eco park comprising several blocks, such as eco knowledge centre, primary sectors of live blocks, agro climatology/meteorology block, water conservation block, renewable energies including solar, wind and atomic blocks, butterfly park etc., will be completed by March 2019. While the district administration has granted `160 lakh, MGNREGS bears `82 lakh and ITDA bears `25 lakh of the total cost of setting up the park, said ITDA PO L Shiva Shankar.
Talking about the park, he said that under the eco knowledge centre, they would construct separate blocks for rocks and minerals, soil, biomes, nature protection zone, ecological pyramids and food chain, environmental issues, several types of cultivation, farmer-friendly organisations and food security.
Similarly, under primary sector live blocks there would be several blocks for agriculture, such as those for cereals, millets, pulses, oil seeds, commercial crops and farm mechanisation; horticulture, including trees that gave fruits, vegetables, flower gardens, ornamental plants, spices and beekeeping, forest species, poisonous plants and plants with peculiar behaviour, medicinal and aromatic plants, sericulture, Gokulam and integrated farming, he said.
Under agro climatology/meteorology, there would be blocks for all agro meteorology equipment, types of clouds, types of rains, mechanism of monsoon etc.. Under water conservation block there would be those showing the irrigation system models (minor, medium and major), irrigation sources (dams, canals, lift irrigation, bore wells), water conservation structures (check dams, farm ponds, the ITDA PO said.
At a glance
The USP: The first-of-its-kind eco park in the State to disseminate knowledge, coming up at Seethampeta, will be completed by March-end
The cost: The estimated cost for setting up the park is J2.67 crore
J160 lakh has been granted by the district administration
J25 lakh ITDA’s contribution
J82 lakh given by MGNREGS
The area and the blocks
The park is coming up in an area of 15 acres
The park will have several blocks, such as eco knowledge centre, primary sectors of live blocks, agro climatology/meteorology block, water conservation block etc.