Kottayam: A forest-like biodiversity park featuring native plant species and serene green spaces is set to become a major attraction at Kozha Science City, with construction nearing completion. The project is being implemented under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in association with the Uzhavoor Block Panchayat and Kuravilangad Panchayat.

Work on the biodiversity park, which began in June last year, is now in the final stages. Designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, the project has made extensive use of coir geotextile, with about 4,000 square metres laid across the park and other garden areas within Science City. This marks it as the public-sector project in the district that has used the largest quantity of the material.

Construction is being carried out by labourers engaged through the employment guarantee scheme of the Uzhavoor Block Panchayat. Coir geotextile has been installed throughout the biodiversity park, along the access road from the science centre entrance and near the compound wall. The work involved land layering and the construction of retaining structures to ensure soil stability.

Plans are also underway to dig a large pond adjacent to the biodiversity park. Works worth approximately ₹60 lakh have been undertaken as part of the employment guarantee programme. Once completed, the park will house indigenous forest plants, medicinal herbs, rare and endangered species, orchids, cacti, spices, various species of bamboo, and palm plants.

For the benefit of visitors, information boards displaying the plant name, scientific classification, and other relevant details have been installed alongside each specimen. A natural forest area is also being developed next to the biodiversity park, providing visitors with a calm space to relax while enjoying the greenery and cool forest atmosphere.

The Science City has been developed on 30 acres of land taken over from the district agricultural farm and is home to hundreds of trees. Only 40 trees were felled during construction, and a compensatory project is underway to plant three times that number.

Demand for bus waiting shelter
Meanwhile, the promise by authorities to set up a bus waiting shelter along the MC Road in front of Science City remains unfulfilled. A nearby plot belonging to the Public Works Department, where buses bound for Kottayam halt, is currently overgrown with shrubs. A recommendation has been submitted to clear the land and construct a modern waiting shelter befitting the stature of Science City.

Ticket fare hiked
The authorities have also announced a revision in entry ticket fares to the Science City. Under the revised rates, adults will have to pay ₹50, while the fee for students has been fixed at ₹30. Earlier, the entry fee stood at ₹30 for adults and ₹20 for students.