NEELAKURIJI

Save Kurinji Campaign from May 21
Roy Mathew
Nature lovers to take out `Kurinji Yatra' from Kodaikanal to Munnar
RARE PHENOMENON: Kurinji when it bloomed in 1994. - Photo: G. Rajkumar
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Save Kurinji Campaign will focus on the conservation of shola forests, the habitat of Kurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), this year.
The Save Kurinji Campaign Council (SKCC), in collaboration with other organisations such as the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS), Group Endeavour for Environment and Nature Sustenance (Greens, Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram) and the Malappuram Chapter of the Youth Hostels Association of India, is organising a `Kurinji Yatra' this month. This will be part of efforts to mobilise public opinion for conservation of Kurinji and its habitat. The yatra will start from Kodaikanal Boat Club at 9 a. m. on May 21 and conclude at Munnar on May 23 with a public meeting.
The council is also planning exhibitions to create awareness among the people about the habitat of Kurinji in Kodaikanal, Munnar, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Rare photos of gregarious flowerings of Kurinji, which blooms once in 12 years, would be displayed at the exhibitions besides information and photos of shola forests and their destruction. MNHS and Greens have been documenting Kurinji blooms. Jafer Palot (MNHS), P. R. Sreekumar (Greens) and G. Rajkumar (SKCC) said that around 60 people would participate in the yatra. They would include scientists (botanists as well as wildlife biologists), bird watchers, environmental activists and photographers. Other nature enthusiasts could also join the yatra by reaching Kodaikanal before the start of the campaign, they said.
The yatra would include trekking through the Kurinji hills between Kodaikanal and Munnar where Kurinji grows. Their flowering is expected only between July and December on the grasslands there.
Around five lakh people are expected to converge in Munnar and nearby areas this season to witness the flowering. Creating awareness against the destruction of the plants and their conservation will be an objective of the campaign.
As the Eravikulam National Park is one of the areas where the Kurinji flowers will bloom, the park authorities are taking steps to restrict the flow of people during the flowering season. Wildlife Warden Roy P. Thomas said that the visitors would be restricted considering the capacity of the park. A web-based facility for advance booking was under consideration.
Currently the park receives about 1,000 to 2,600 visitors a day. This might increase to 6,000 during the flowering season of Kurinji. However, the park may not be able to accommodate that number of visitors. Kurinji would be flowering outside the park also.
The season is expected to bring a windfall for the tourism industry in Munnar. Officials feel that the tourism industry should share their benefits with people and contribute towards conservation and crowd control.