CHENNAI: Chennai has never been shy of advertising itself as beautiful. The ‘Singara Chennai (Beautiful Chennai)’ campaign can still be seen in several places in the city. The residents may not always feel that’s the case but it’s the thought that counts.
Sometimes, those thoughts become reality. The Tamil Nadu forest department is planning to convert the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest into an eco-tourism centre in two phases. The place, located between Velachery and Tambaram, is set to get a facelift at an estimated cost of `1.2 crore under Tamil Nadu Innovative Initiative Scheme. The area, a Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF), a one of its kind place, has been in bad shape.
The 320-hectare forest, which was known for Eurasian eagle owls, sunbirds, more than 400 varieties of reptiles and insectivorous plants started to dwindle in the late 1960s.
Eucalyptus and seemai karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) trees popularised here during the Green Revolution as ‘fuel’ trees dominated the native species.
These water-consuming trees along with seven big quarries led to the rapid degradation of the highly diverse forest. However, mining was banned after the forest department took control in 1974 and calls to restore the green cover got louder since then.
“Biotic pressure with burgeoning population all around added salt to the injuries and rapid construction activities almost engulfed the reserved forest,” a top official told Express. The official added that there was an urgent need to restore the forest which not only serves as the lungs of the suburbs but also as the main source of underground water recharge to the population of about four lakh families.
Responding to this, the department came up with a proposal that consists of two parts — restoration and conversion into an eco-tourism centre. While the State Planning Commission recently approved and allocated funds for the first phase (restoration), the second phase is in the pipeline. Funds will be distributed over three years.
P Lakshmana Kumar, Forest Range Officer from Nanmangalam, said they will be uprooting all the alien species and sowing seeds of mother species – Neer maruthu or arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna), khirni (Manilkara hexandra), fig and peepal – in about 100 hectares, initially. Subsequently, all the seven abandoned quarries that turned into water bodies will be restored. This will be used to water native seeds, he added.
There is also good news for adventure seeking Chennaiites. The forest department is planning to turn the tourism centre into a camping site in the second phase. The department in its proposal has earmarked a ‘halt and trek’ facility worth `7 crore to attract nature lovers as well as fitness freaks.
Throwing more light on the proposal, Lakshmana said: “Dismantlable tents will be set up inside the forest where visitors can stay overnight. They will be taken for a night ride in jeeps maintained by the forest department. A four-kilometre pavement was also proposed to attract tourists who wished to trek alongside rugged terrain.”
After expansion, the department could consider seeking assistance from women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and volunteers to prepare organic food and camps were to be roped in for preparing ‘organic’ food and organising these camps, he added.