Plantation project to turn Kumari Kanan in Purulia into tourist hotspot

Kolkata: The Panchayat and Rural Development department has chalked out extensive plans to implement a plantation and tourism development project at Kumari Kanan in Purulia.

The project will be executed under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and will be backed by West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation (CADC).

At Kumari Kanan, several progeny of orchards have been grown by the district MGNREGA authority to develop the mother stock of all kind plants.

The idea was mooted during a brainstorming session where officials of the district and block administration and Comprehensive Area Development Corporation were present. Accordingly, nurseries have been grown and several clusters of plantation are in the process of development where the mother stocks are being preserved.

This apart, efforts are been made to develop tourist facilities. The locale of the project is a feast for the eyes surrounding Ayodhya hills.

Under MGNREGA, small wells were dug up to support water conservation. Soil was excavated to set up mud houses and the roads around the site were widened. Tourism department set up several tent houses within the cluster. CADC added a spectacular two-storied round house.

Now, there are four mud houses with modern amenities and a round-shaped two storeyed building that houses four rooms. There is greenery all around and a small lake and a hill just beside the resort.

Views of Ayodhya hills are enchanting during sunrise and sunset. Organic farming is being carried out surrounding the resort. All the streetlights surrounding the resort are solar powered. It may be mentioned that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken initiatives to develop tourism in every district. Now, Purulia is a tourist hot spot and all the rooms are booked during weekends.

MGNREGA resources have been used for land-leveling, raising a rose garden with 45000 plants, developing pomegranate orchard. Apart from these, a mango orchard has come up with 800 plants and another mosambi orchard with 600 plants and a guava orchard with 600 plants.

Plans are on for lotus plantation in ponds. Natural boulders will be used to decorate the sides of water bodies. The comprehensive planning has changed the topography of the area.