The newly constructed mini boat jetty and two shelters at the Kadalundi Community Reserve were thrown open to tourists on Thursday.
The jetty, built with aid from the National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (Nirdesh) and Canara Bank, is owned by the Forest Department.
Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu Tourism Management Committee officials said the jetty would replace the dilapidated structure earlier used for boat landing. The jetty, constructed at a cost of ₹3 lakh, would be useful mainly for nine country boats used for sightseeing. In the absence of a spacious boarding point, tourists were facing difficulties. The boat operators had availed themselves of financial support from various banks and panchayats.
“This community reserve is an emerging tourism attraction in Kozhikode district as the number of visitors is steadily increasing. In the last three months, over 2,000 people visited the spot and most of them enjoyed the boat trips through the mangrove forests,” said committee secretary M. Sivasankaran.
The contribution of the district panchayat along with the Kadalundi and Vallikkunnu grama panchayats was very helpful to promote the destination, he added.
The district panchayat authorities said a walkway would be constructed soon to attract more tourists. The improvement of the approach road to the spot and the pending interlocking tiles work would be completed soon, they said.