Munderikadavu bird sanctuary
Amidst the campaign to develop and protect Munderikadavu as a proper bird sanctuary, the bird enthusiasts and a group of students have started the work on a master plan on the project.The master plan is being prepared by 25 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers who are doing civil engineering and environmental sciences and once it is finalized it would be given to the authorities concerned, said the bird enthusiasts of the area."Though Munderikadavu has a great future as a bird sanctuary and eco-tourism destination, no serious effort has been made by the authorities, which made us think of such a master plan with the help of NSS volunteers and experts in this field, like Khaleel Chovva," said Babu P P Karakkat, convener of the Munderi bird sanctuary protection group. He said a rough draft has been uploaded on Facebook (@Munderikadavu Birdsanctuary) for discussion and the plan would be finalized after collecting the opinion from the public.In the master plan it has been suggested to build an eco-friendly gate on Chekkikulam-Valiyannur Road and also an eco-friendly park in the outer reach of the sanctuary. The park will have the photographs and other details of the birds in the sanctuary. He said MLAs like James Mathew and A P Abdullakkutty have shown great interest in the project.Since the location of the park is outside the core area of the sanctuary it would not disrupt the birds and biodiversity, they said.This apart, four eco-friendly watch towers with bird watching facilities are also proposed in the sanctuary.But the main issue is the approval from the forest department and also fund from the government. The project would cost over Rs 10 crore. The Rs 20 lakh fund approved by the government last year has not yet released."Since Munderikadavu can be developed into an eco-tourism destination, we are planning to submit the master plan to the district tourism promotion council (DTPC)," said Babu."We have already got a proposal from James Mathew, MLA in this regard, but it requires huge fund and also a detailed study as it is an eco-sensitive area," said K Bhaskaran, deputy director, department of tourism, Kannur. "But it is good that a master plan is being worked out by the people." Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-28/kozhikode/36036010_1_bird-sanctuary-master-plan-eco-tourism-destination