Mangaluru : District Incharge secretary Bharath Lal Meena said there were plans to introduce mono rail and solar-powered vehicles to help people visit all places of interest in Pilikula Nisargadhama.

Speaking to the reporters at Pilikula in Aati Koota here on Sunday, he said “in the past, Mangaluru city had only Kadri Park for spending leisure time. Now, the Pilikula Nisargadhama covers 300 acres of land providing an array of interesting centres to visitors. The Nisargadhama requires 100 acres more to take up further development activities. There is a need to provide facilities to facilitate the movement of visitors inside the Nisargadhama. There is also a need to provide direct connectivity from Mangaluru city to Thanneerbavi. There is a proposal to develop rope way from Thanneerbavi to Pilikula, which is at a distance of eight kilometres.”

Meena said there was a plan to introduce the culture and tradition of tribals to the city dwellers inside the Nisargadhama by recreating a tribal village. To function independently without the support of government, there is a need to create an authority for the Pilikula Nisargadhama. This will help in giving thrust to development activities.

There is a need to create awareness among public on the specialities of the Nisargadhama, he said.

Urban Eco Park Coordinator Mohammed Beary said that tenders had been invited for preparing a DPR for the Urban Eco Park on 10 acres of land at the Pilikula Nisargadhama, at an estimated cost of Rs five crore.

The Park is being developed in association with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The primary objective of the Urban Eco Park is to promote activities related to environment, including waste management, develop medicinal plant garden, create a knowledge hub for ecology.

District in-charge Secretary Bharath Lal Meena has mooted a plan to showcase the endemic flora and fauna of Western Ghats by setting up a centre on 1,000 acres of land, near Shiradi. The centre will be started by Pilikula Nisargadhama in association with Forest department.

This will help pilgrims visiting Dharmasthala and Subrahmanya.

This is a new concept and the proposal needs to be submitted to the government for approval, he added.