Tamil Nadu

Steps to revive Guinness Park

Udhagamandalam: The Forest Department has started the process of bringing the Guinness Park near here back to life.

The park was set up in June 2002 following the district administration’s efforts to enter the Guinness Book of Records by planting the maximum number of native trees in one day. With Guinness authorities recognising the feat, the area, extending over 40 hectares at Kuruthukulli, came to be called Guinness Park. Steps were mooted to ensure that the young plants took root and their growth was monitored. It was announced that the area would be converted into an eco-awareness and research centre. However, the park subsequently went to seed.

Sporadic attempts made by officials to revive it failed, and thousands of saplings perished.

With concern growing over the sorry state of the park, and people lamenting that the project was not serving its purpose, the Forest Department drew up a plan to revive it under the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP).

Pointing out that only 15,000-20,000 plants had survived, D. Arun, District Forest Officer, Nilgiris South division, told The Hindu that all the dead saplings would be replaced in phases.

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