Karnataka: Govt plans tourism activity in KRS backwaters

Mysuru: The Krishna Raja Sagara, one of the largest reservoirs in State, is all set to become a tourist destination soon as the State government is planning to develop water sports facilities and helitourism in its backwaters on the lines of Narmada reservoir in Gujarat. The KRS situated in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district attracts a large number of tourists. The tourism will get a massive boost if the State tourism department plans are implemented.

Mandya district in-charge minister Dr Narayana has sent a proposal to the government to identify tourism spots in the district whose tourism potential has not been fully exploited. He said there are many tourism spots in Mandya which are yet to be identified by the tourism department.

Speaking to The Hans India, State Tourism Minister C P Yogeshwar said that, "the KRS reservoir provides water for irrigation and drinking purposes. But the backwater remains unutilised. So we plan to utilise it for tourism activities like water sports. There are a few islands in backwaters with strong tourism potential."

A large number of tourists throng the backwaters of the KRS reservoir during and after monsoon. The backwaters usually reach the edge of the road leading to the 12th century Sri Venugopalaswamy temple, which has now been relocated to the periphery of Hosa Kannambadi village. Apart from watching the beauty of the setting sun over the expansive water body, visitors pay a visit to the magnificent Sri Venugopalaswamy temple. The 900-year-old temple was originally situated in Kannambadi village, which was submerged in the backwaters of the KRS reservoir.

Nearly 30 lakh tourists visit KRS annually who are charged Rs 50 each as entry fee. This way, the State government earns around Rs 15 crore annually by through the entry fee and parking fee. The authorities hope that the proposed backwater tourism would definitely boost income.