Buffaloes eat away dream tourism project

KOCHI: The first phase of the eco-tourism project at Perunthuranchi Manalppurum at Aluva is complete but only on paper.The Irrigation Department has given the certificate of completion to the contractor and the report was submitted to the DTPC. All was well. But go to the island and all you will see is a herd of buffaloes having the time of their life on the dream eco project.The eco-tourism project undertaken by the DTPC was aimed at converting the 58-acre island into a tourism spot. The peculiarity of the island is that most parts of it will be submerged during rainy season. As part of the eco-tourism project, the land was to be fortified by planting 1,600 trees and plants of different varieties. Once the land was developed, it was to have a full-fledged kiosk, a boat jetty, an open-air stadium, a walkway and so on.  But those who designed the project made a grave mistake. They ignored the buffaloes which used to graze there throughout the year.The unique thing about the little island of Perunthuranchi is that it gets partially submerged during the heavy rain. This feature has made the island a haven for the buffalo-rearers in the area owing to the abundance of grass there. Every year the local people put their calves on the island during the summer season. They are then left there at least till the next summer. After a year or so when they are big enough to be of use to their owners, they are brought back. “After the completion of the first phase, the Irrigation Department gave the certificate of completion stating that the saplings were planted properly. But when we conducted a spot inspection, none of these saplings were there. The buffaloes ate them,” T N Jayasankar, DTPC  secretary, Ernakulam, said.However, the Irrigation Department is of the view that they cannot be held responsible for the mess. “The Irrigation Department does not have the structural facility to monitor such a huge activity. The DTPC must utilise the services of the Keezhmad panchayat to monitor the activity and remove the buffaloes from the area,” a senior officer with the Irrigation Department said.“The island is extremely hot. Unless the saplings are grown and a green canopy is provided, tourists won't visit the place,”  the Irrigation Department official said.