After three years, forest staff in PTR will get proper travel facility soon
After a three-year gap, the ground-level Forest department staff in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Idukki will soon get a proper transport facility. Construction of a boat and its trial run have already been completed at Thekkady.
In May, The Hindu had reported about the poor travel facilities for ground-level forest department officials under PTR.
PTR East deputy director Patil Suyog Subah Rao said that the fitness certificate for the boat is expected within a week. “ We hope the boat service will resume within two weeks. The tender process for another boat is ongoing,” said Mr. Rao.
Kerala Forest Protective Staff Organisation Idukki district secretary Santhosh P.G. said that the resumption of the boat service at Thekkady will provide a big relief to the ground-level staff from PTR.
“The intervention of the workers organization also helped to resume the boat service,” said Mr. Santhosh.
Two boats were previously used to transport forest department officials to sections within the Periyar range: Tannikkudy, Mlappara, Moolavaika, and Sundaranmala. However, the boats have been out of service for three years now.
Over 40 Forest department staff, including female personnel, travel through the dense forest in small, dinghy boats every week.
Most of the forest sections under PTR in Thekkady are situated deep inside the forest, and wild elephants and Tigers are within Periyar Lake. The Thannikkudy forest section is located approximately 13 km from the Mullaperiyar dam. Normally, five to six hours of journey by boat are needed to reach each point.
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