Coimbatore interpretation centre for jumbos in limbo amid fund crunch

Sources from the forest department, construction of the centre, which was planned to be set up with the aim of creating awareness about the role of elephants in the ecosystem, stopped abruptly.

Published: 09th January 2023 07:23 AM | Last Updated: 09th January 2023 07:23 AM | A+A A-

A sculpture of a mammoth lays on the premises of the unfinished ‘Vezham’ elephant interpretation centre on Kotagiri Road near Mettupalayam | Express

COIMBATORE: More than one year has passed since it was launched, but the construction of the elephant interpretation centre called ‘Vezham’ in the timber depot at forest check post near Mettupalayam - Kotagiri road is yet to be completed.

According to sources from the forest department, construction of the centre, which was planned to be set up with the aim of creating awareness about the role of elephants in the ecosystem, stopped abruptly. "In September 2021, officials stated that the centre would be completed soon and the then Forest Minister K Ramachandran would inaugurate it. But now, they state a lack of fund," sources added.

District Forest Officer TK Ashok Kumar confirmed that the reason for the delay in construction is lack of funds. "We have to carry out few works, including construction of toilets and parking space, and we need funds. I will attend a meeting in Chennai regarding this soon," he said.

Sources said around `50 lakh has been spent on the 2,000 sq ft centre, which includes details about the evolution of African and Asian elephants, paintings and photographs of different elephants and their behaviour patterns, among others. Artists from Kerala and Karnataka were brought in to design the 3D flooring of the centre as well.

Apart from these, the centre has sculptures of elephants, among others. However, sources claimed that wild elephants destroyed the sculpture of the Asian elephant owing to the lack of monitoring by the Mettupalayam forest department staff.

"If the centre is opened, it will introduce the tourists to a wide range of knowledge. The revenue generated from the centre through entry fees and parking can also be used for the upliftment of tribals and as incentives to the staff who visit the man-animal conflict prone areas in Mettupalayam forest range," a wildlife activist said, under condition of anonymity.

Additional chief secretary, environment, climate change and forests Supriya Sahu had visited the region recently. Sahu instructed officials to prepare a proposal explaining how much funds is required to complete the construction of the interpretation centre.