Known for its scenic beauty, remote villages and rich wildlife, Konni has long been tipped as the next big destination in the State. Despite this, the region has always lain in the shadow of the more famous destinations in its neighbourhood.
Things, however, have finally begun to move here with the authorities all set to unveil a master plan for developing Konni as a major ecotourism destination, later this month. The plan, which comprises several ambitious projects and activities structured towards positioning Konni as a must-see destination where the public and private sector can confidently invest.
5,000 jobs
The plan, to be implemented within a period of 10 years, focusses on creating a series of interconnected but distinct precincts that seek to cash in on the natural heritage of Konni and turn it into a year-round tourist destination. On completion, it is expected to generate as many as 5,000 jobs to the local community.
According to K.U. Janeesh Kumar, Konni MLA, the project takes a cue from the State government's policy of developing at least two tourism projects in a local body and will be implemented with public and private investment through various government departments, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and tourism societies.
“The key destinations of Sanchayath Kadavu in Konni, Nedumpara in Pramadam, Rakshasan Para in Koodal and the Tourism circuit in Seethathodu will be implemented through the DTPC. A draft plan for these projects has already been presented before the stakeholders and government officers, including the District Collector, and the final plan will be prepared based on their suggestions,” he said.
In each local body
Among the 11 local bodies here, Chittar will get the Manpilavu trekking and Chathura-Kallipara tourism projects while in Thannithodu, a project for the Manneera waterfalls will be taken up along with the Adavi development project. In Malayalappuzha, a tourism project and a pilgrim tourism circuit around the Kadavupuzha Bungalow will come up while Aruvapulam will get a crafts village at Kokkadthodu and the Chelikkuzhy waterfalls project.
The Enadimangalam panchayat, meanwhile, will get a tourism project for the Anchumalapara hilltop along with a wellness zone. These are in addition to the project proposals for the Mylapra and Vallikodu panchayats, added Mr. Kumar.
District Collector Divya S. Iyer has extended the wholehearted supported of the district administration as well as the DTPC for the project.
As part of preparing the masterplan, an expert team led by travel documentary filmmaker Santosh George Kulangara carried out a preliminary inspection of the various local attractions six months ago. Following the visit, the team suggested to develop tourism circuits by dividing the Konni and Gavi regions into two different segments.
