With land survey done, Neelakurinji Park at Vattavada set to take shape

Munnar: Nearly two decades after its announcement, the proposed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) Park at Vattavada is moving closer to reality, as authorities have completed the land survey and submitted their report.

The park will materialise once the Devikulam sub-collector, acting as the settlement officer responsible for acquiring the land, issues a notification after reviewing the survey documents and resolving any land-related issues.

The survey was conducted after exempting land already in the possession of farmers in Vattavada, including residential plots, farmland, and the Raveendran Pattaya land in blocks 58 and 62 of the panchayat. With the farmers’ land excluded, only forest and revenue land have now been earmarked for the project.

In 2006, then Forest Minister Binoy Viswam visited the site during the Neelakurinji blooming season and announced the creation of a Neelakurinji flower park in Vattavada. The original plan proposed acquiring 7,173.1 acres across blocks 58 and 62, spanning Vattavada and Kotakambur villages. A government notification to take over the land for the project was issued on December 7, 2007. However, since this notification also included farmland and deed land, local residents strongly objected.

Following protests from 452 local residents, successive settlement officers held multiple sittings over the years, but the issue remained unresolved. The Forest Department’s refusal to permit any activity within the boundaries of the proposed park further fuelled tensions, leading to several clashes and protests. On multiple occasions, locals even blocked forest and revenue officials from accessing the site.