CM Stalin inaugurates eco-tourism corridor in Yelagiri; Maragatha pooncholai

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday inaugurated various finished projects of the state environment department including the Yelagiri - Jalagambarai community based ecotourism corridor and 75 Maragatha Pooncholais developed in 29 districts in the state.

The Yelagiri - Jalagambarai community based ecotourism corridor developed in Tirupattur district at a cost of Rs 3.57 crore would encompass the Jalagambarai waterfalls located on the eastern ghats, which is easily accessible from Tirupattur town.

The project was taken up following the announcement made by Chief Minister Stalin during his visit to the district on June 26, 2022.

Under the ecotourism corridor program, the waterfalls area and the approach corridor, umbrellas, life-size animal statues, amphitheatre, eco-store, food court and new children's park have been developed.

Regarding the 75 Maragatha Pooncholai developed in the 29 districts, each one would be developed in one acre revenue land and maintained for two years by the state forest department and handed over the local rural water bodies for follow up maintenance.

As many as 46,875 saplings of different tree species, including Syzyglum Cumini, Phyllanthus Emblica (gooseberries), Cocos Nuclifera (coconut), Terminalla Catappa (Almond), Tamarindus Indica (Tamarind), Psidium Guajava (Guava), Pterocarpus Satallinus (sandal), Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit), Ficus Racemosa (Fig), Manifera Indica (Mango), Mimusops Elengl and Strychnos nux-vomica have been planted in the 75 Maragatha pooncholai.

The inaugurated 75 Pooncholai for which Rs 19.75 crore was allocated are among the 100 announced in the policy note of the department for the 2022-23 fiscal.

The chief minister also inaugurated a facility at Kasimedu in the city to collect unused fishing nets and recycle them to preserve marine biodiversity and develop the local economy.

Stalin also inaugurated the integrated environment monitoring centre developed at Rs 1.50 crore.

TNPCB officials stationed at the centre would be able to monitor the air quality, factory emissions, effluent discharge, performance of common and individual treatment plants round the clock.

If the emission or effluent parameters exceed the statutory limits set by the board, the officials at the centre would be able to alert their field officials and districts engineers of the board for follow up action.