MADURAI: The state government on Tuesday issued an order to set up a biodiversity museum and a conservation centre with an eco-park at the recently notified Agasthiyamalai Elephant Reserve, which shares the landscape with the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).
At a function in Tirunelveli last September, chief minister M K Stalin announced the setting up of the biodiversity museum and the conservation centre. The museum and the conservation centre will be set up at a cost of `7 crore funded by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
The conservation of biodiversity through education and training, promotion of eco-tourism, and creating awareness among stakeholders, besides creating livelihood opportunities for local people, among others, were the main objectives for setting up the museum and the centre.
“The incredible biodiversity of KMTR provides an ideal setting for the biodiversity museum. KMTR is home to many rare and endemic flora and fauna. The area is also called a river sanctuary as 14 rivers originate from here,” said Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary, department of environment, climate change and forests.
She said, “It is truly a biodiversity hotspot of Tamil Nadu. The biodiversity museum, the conservation centre and eco-park will provide an opportunity to the people, especially the young generation, to understand the importance of conservation.”
The proposed conservation centre will be a landmark in the conservation journey of Agasthiyamalai Elephant Reserve and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, she added. KMTR is home to more than 2,000 species of plants, including 150 endemic ones.
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