The proposed rail link covers Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts and lies in the forest divisions of Kothamangalam, Kottayam and Ranni, home not only to a wide range of wildlife but also to several endangered species of both plants and animals. To start with, the SEC will launch a mass awareness programme about the environmental impact of the project. The committee also aims to elicit support from the people who would be affected by the new project. This reserve, which owes its name to river Periyar, the largest river in Kerala, has been included under 'Project Tiger' by the Central government, he pointed out. T his reserve, and particularly the Sabarimala area, is one of the 18 'hot spots' in India and one of the two in Western Ghats.
Hot spots are areas which have a high concentration of endangered species.
A study conducted by the Tropical Botanical Garden Research Institute at Trivandrum had identified several rare plant species in the thick forests of Sabarimala. Several proposals for allotting forest land for the development of infrastructure for the Sabarimala pilgrims were shot down on the basis of this study. Interestingly, the scientists say that the knowledge they have got about the lower plant groups and the micro-organisms is too little compared to the rich wealth hidden in the forest. Ayurvedic experts fear that the project would destroy a large number of already dwindling medicinal plants. Nearly 4,000 species of vascular plants are found in the region.