TIRUPPUR: The ongoing work of converting the Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tiruppur district into a tourist spot has picked up pace. Currently, the work of fixing the boundary of the sanctuary is 70% complete and the construction work of the tourist site will follow, said officials of the forest and tourism departments.
Nanjarayan Pond is situated on about 310 acres near Uthukuli in Tiruppur district. Many domestic and migratory birds arrive here. Nanjarayan Pond was declared the 17th bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu by the state government in 2022 to promote bird conservation and related research activities.
The government is planning to convert the bird sanctuary, which is under the control of the forest department, into a tourist site.
Speaking to TNIE, T Arvind Kumar, District Tourist Officer, said, "The government plans to convert Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary into a tourist site as there are no places for entertainment around the Tiruppur city. This will benefit the people of Tiruppur. It will be a great tourist attraction for local people, bird lovers and tourists visiting Tiruppur district. We expect the allocation of funds for the project as soon as the paperwork in this regard is completed. The work on fixing the boundaries will be over soon."
Arvind Kumar also explained the facilities that are coming up at the site. "The forest department has sent a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the government for setting up structures for the tourist site at an estimated cost of `7.5 crore. For tourism, 20 structures like a welcome gate, footpath, information hall, documentation centre, eco mall, refreshment centre, small open-air stadium, children's park, observation tower, parking lot and basic facilities are coming up. In this context, we and the forest department staff jointly visited the sanctuary on Saturday," he said.
Further, he said, "We are also planning to get funding from the tourism department if there is a shortage of funds. This additional fund will be generated by the forest department."
M Suresh Krishnan, forest ranger of Tiruppur, said, "Some paperwork needs to be completed to convert the bird sanctuary into a tourist spot. The construction work for the tourist site will start soon."