By November, you could well be walking on a trekking path and enjoying the beauty of birds and trees near the Salumarada Thimakka Urban Tree Park at Badagabettu near here, if everything goes according to the plans of the Forest Department.
The two-kilometre long path will be constructed opposite the Urban Tree Park. It will come up on the 275-acre reserve forest at Badagabettu, and will be part of the Park, but located outside it. The intention behind the construction of this nature trekking path is to attract children and students and develop love for flora and fauna among them.
Besides children, even others could take a walk in the calm surroundings of the forest. To make the path attractive, boards will be installed every 100 metres. There will be an interesting question about the flora or fauna on every board.
The answer and the next question can be found on the next board about 100 metres away. “This would make the walk interesting for everyone who walks on the nature trekking path,” Cliffard Lobo, Range Forest Officer told The Hindu .
Already, there are 500 to 700 footfalls at the Urban Tree Park on weekends and holidays. The path will be an added attraction and will also help increase footfalls. The allocation of funds for the development of this nature trekking path is expected within a fortnight. Once it is allocated, it is expected to be ready in two months.
In order to make the entire reserve forest area secure, the Department is already in the process of fencing it as it is close to Udupi city. While already a 2-km long fence has been constructed around a portion of the reserve forest, another five-kilometre-long fence will be constructed to make it fully secure.
As a long-term plan to make the path attractive, the department has planted 2,000 saplings of ficus and fruit-bearing trees such as jackfruit, wild jack, jamum and nerale. “The idea is that these fruit-bearing trees would in time attract more birds,” Mr. Lobo said.
