Forest department begins work on tourism development initiative in Pachamalai

The Forest department has begun laying an approach way to provide easier access to visitors to the Koraiyar Falls on Pachamalai in Tiruchi district

The Forest department has begun laying an approach way to provide easier access to visitors to the Koraiyar Falls on Pachamalai in Tiruchi district.

The work has been taken up as part of a tourism development project involving the Forest, Tourism and Rural Development departments. The project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of about ₹4 crore under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives. Creation of basic infrastructure at Koraiyar and Mangalam falls are among the components of the project. Both the falls get good inflows during the monsoon season.

The Koraiyar falls is situated about 40 km away from Thuraiyur and can be reached via Adivaram, Keerambur, Sengattupatti, Moolakadu, Manalodai, Thonur, Chinna Illupur, Periya Illupur and Vanadu Pudur.

Although a two-km-long road from Pudur to Koraiyar Falls was laid about a few years ago, access to the falls remained difficult as people had to negotiate a rugged terrain for about 800 metres in the absence of a proper pathway. The Forest department has now taken up the work to provide a proper pathway for visitors to access the falls.

According to sources in the district administration, developments are also planned at the Mangalam falls, another little known picnic destination. The falls is located about 14 km away from Top Sengattupatti, which is accessible by road from Tiruchi via Thuraiyur and Uppilliyapuram. From Top Sengattupattai one has to go via Chinna Pakkalam, Periya Pakkalam and Chinna Mangalam villages.