More than two years after its construction began, an elephant interpretation centre of the Forest Department near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district is yet to be inaugurated due to lack of facilities for visitors and issues related to funding.
The interpretation centre, namely ‘Vezham’, inside the timber depot of the Department at Odanthurai on Mettupalayam - Kotagiri Road lacks parking space and facilities such as toilets.
Nature enthusiasts and forest officials are apprehensive about the place chosen for the centre as it is situated in an area witnessing frequent elephant movement between reserve forest areas of Mettupalayam and Sirumugai ranges. They added that an elephant entered the campus and damaged some installations made for the centre.
