COIMBATORE: Nature enthusiasts en route to Topslip in Pollachi now have another option for a comfortable stay. Five luxurious tents are coming up on the premises of the Anamalai Conservation Centre in Sethumadai.
The Tamil Nadu Wilderness Experiences Corporation (TNWEC) of the State Forest Department is behind the first-of-its-kind project in Tamil Nadu.
Each air-conditioned tent has a cot for two persons, a solar-powered geyser, and an attached toilet.
The entrance door features a UPVC door. All the four corners of the tent will be sealed.
A skywatching programme for the occupants has been planned. The local tribal people will prepare food for them at the restaurant, which is also being constructed.
Tents for drivers are also planned.
The total cost for the entire project is Rs 2 crore.
"We have proposed non-permanent structures to provide a pleasant stay for nature enthusiasts. Most of them have been demanding such facilities during forest treks. We did not set up the tents in the forest areas as it would be a hindrance to wildlife movement. At the same time we have to address the grievance and interest of the tourists and set up tents near the forest but close to trekking paths," said a TNWEC officer.
The work would be completed before the end of February or the first week of March, and then the charges for a tent will be fixed.
The payment can be made only online similar to the payment option for the 35 trekking routes preferred by the trekkers in the state.
The link is: https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/experiences/trekking
"We have conducted on-the-job training for 20 tribal people on how to treat the campers. They have been chosen from the nearby tribal settlements of Sarkarpathy and Nagaroothu. They will be engaged for front office duties, inventory management, cooking at the restaurant, and housekeeping, along with educating the campers through sky watching," the official stated.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, inspected the ongoing works along with Vismiju Viswanathan, Managing Director of TNWEC, on Wednesday evening.
The TNWEC is planning to add 15 additional trekking routes to the existing 35 routes in the state following great demand from nature enthusiasts.