The much-awaited management plan for the Kadalundi- Vallikunnu Community Reserve, the first of its kind in the state, is all set to be put on track. The plan, prepared by the Forest Department, will be presented before the Community Reserve Management Committee (CRMC) on September 21. It will be submitted to the state government and then to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for final approval. This is the second time that the management plan is being prepared, with the previous one being rejected by the state government, saying it was prepared without following proper guidelines. The process was further hampered when the UDF Government dissolved the CRMC constituted during the tenure of the LDF government and the delay in reconstituting it. According to the Forest Department officials, the plan and the budget for the year 2013-14 to 2022-23 have a total outlay of Rs 2.81 crore for conducting various activities in the Reserve.
“The major objective of having a management plan for the Reserve is to conserve and manage the biodiversity of the Community Reserve through participatory processes. It aims to promote conservation education and develop the Community Reserve as a centre of excellence for education, training and research on mangroves and wetlands. Besides, the management plan will help manage and improve the resources in the wetland ecosystem for sustainable use. It also proposes to develop eco-development programmes to ensure the participation of the local community in the entire conservation process,” an official with CRMC said. He further said the plan would act as a facilitator for any future activities in the Community Reserve. “The proposed fund allocation in the management plan was meant to cater to the day-to-day needs and for conservation and eco-development purposes. Once the plan is approved, the funds for this will be sanctioned by the MoEF. In addition, we have also made the provision to receive funds for the Community Reserve from all government departments for implementing various projects. The only thing is that the management plan will be the base for everything,” the official said. Although the plan is in the final stages of getting approval, the major hurdle is in its implementation, with shortage of staff. At present, a forester on special duty from the Thamarassery range of Kozhikode Forest Division, supported by four daily-wage labourers is assigned the tasks of protection and related activities in the Community Reserve.