A biodiversity park that remains unopened in Sirumalai

Sirumalai biodiversity park remains closed despite government funding, awaiting completion and local involvement for eco-tourism promotion.

For the many tourists going up to Sirumalai, which now has numerous resorts, a visit to the bio-diversity park in the hills has always been a lure. But sadly, the impressive gates remain locked and have lost their sheen. In front of the massive entrance, scrawny flea-ridden dogs bask in the noon sun and through the gates the beautifully laid landscape can be seen turning into an unkempt garden.

To promote ecotourism, in 2019, the then government had announced a biodiversity park at Sirumalai. The site shortlisted was the Agasthiyapuram Beat of Sirumalai West Block-II in the hill range.

An amount of  ₹5 crore was earmarked for the project and it was proposed to be completed in three years. The first phase of the project began in 2019-2020 at a cost of ₹2.43 crore.

A survey conducted during that period had pointed out that Sirumalai was home to 536 species of trees and 895 kinds of herbs. The biodiversity park apart from improving tourism prospects of Sirumalai was also seen as an endeavour to protect the rare varieties of trees, plants and shrubs endemic to the region. In order to do so, there were plans to set up an arboretum with a herbal garden and a butterfly park.

The then forest officials had exuded confidence that the bio-diversity park would increase the number of tourists and also promote eco-tourism in the area. 

According to activist Arun Shankar, the bio-diversity park was a welcome step. The government’s plan to have an arboretum that would consist of over 100 varieties of trees with botanical names, which would help the visitors learn about nature in a scientific way, was seen by many as a constructive way to preserve the fragile ecosystem. 

But unfortunately the park never opened its gates. Mr. Shankar says that though most of the work inside has been done, the contractor who had been awarded the contract had done a very substandard work and as a result even before the works got completed issues of maintenance had risen. This and the lethargic attitude of the officials concerned has kept the park in an inoperative state.