The much-awaited tourism project at Perunthenaruvi, near Vechoochira, in Ranni has been inaugurated by the local MLA, Raju Abraham, on Tuesday.
The Kerala Tourism Department has launched the Perunthenaruvi tourism project, estimated at Rs.3 crore, as part of the eco-tourism chain linking Achenkovil, Gavi, Konni, Ranni and Kochu Pampa a few years ago.
The Tourism Department had planned implementation of the project in three phases and the MLA has inaugurated the first and second phase of the project on Tuesday.
The first phase of the project involves five view towers, vehicle parking ground, and a cafeteria.
Dormitories to accommodate as many as 250 persons and a convention hall have also been constructed as part of its second phase.
Mr Abraham said Ranni had got immense eco tourism potential. The MLA said the third phase of the Perunthenaruvi project involved construction of a hanging footbridge across the stream, footpaths and landscaping.
The hanging bridge and view towers, once completed, would provide an opportunity to the tourists to have a spectacular view of the Perunthenaruvi stream, a tributary of river Pampa, that plunges into a 40-metre-deep ravine. The MLA said the Tourism Department was also planning to organise periodic trekking to the Panamkudantha waterfalls situated in the nearby forests from Perunthenaruvi in due course.
District Collector S. Harikishore, who is also the District Tourism Promotion Council chairman, presided over the function.
The first and second phases of the project estimated at a total of Rs.1.72 crore has been constructed by the State-run SIDCO.
