Udhagamandalam: Tourists who visit Doddabetta Peak in the Nilgiris will soon find new facilities like toilets, resting seats and barricades.
These facilities are going to be built to uplift infrastructure of tourist spots in eight ranges of the Nilgiris forest division to promote eco-tourism. The spots include Doddabetta Peak, Lamb’s Rock, Kodanadu View Point, Dolphin’s Nose and Needle Rock.
The development activities follow the merger of the two forest divisions (north and south) of the Nilgiris, now known as the Nilgiri forest division.
“Out of the 14 ranges, eight ranges are engaged in eco-tourism for the benefit of local residents especially tribal communities,” said Sumesh Soman, district forest officer, Nilgiris division. “Infrastructure of the tourist spots located within forest areas are improved. At places like Lamb’s Rock, Dolphin’s Nose and Doddabetta, old barricades were found broken. These barricades are at edge of view points that lead to deep valleys,” Soman told TOI. Renovation work has started already at Doddabetta Peak.
Before merger, three ranges — Sigur, Singara and Thengumarahada — were brought under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). By inclusion of the three ranges, the area of MTR in the Nilgiris has gone up to 367.59sqkm.
Out of 2,549sqkm land in the district, 1,853sqkm comprises of forest cover which is 72% of total area.