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Govt. to promote Jog Falls as `all season attraction'

By Our Special Correspondent

JOG FALLS (SHIMOGA DT.), FEB. 3. The Minister for Tourism, J. Alexander, said here on Tuesday that the Government would promote Jog Falls as an all season attraction.

Speaking to newspersons after presiding over a meeting of the Jog Management Authority of which he is the Chairman, he said a garden would be developed near Linganamakki Dam — the main feeder to the Sharavathy Hydel Project — at an estimated cost of Rs. 5 crore. He said the plan and estimate prepared by a Pune-based agency would be approved by the authority shortly. But the process of finalising tenders to take up the work had begun.

The work on the garden was expected to be completed within one-and-a-half years, he said and added that the garden would have fountains and other attractions, he added.

Mr. Alexander said a proposal to recycle water to make Jog Falls a perennial tourist attraction, had been accepted. It also envisaged generation of hydel power at the falls for four months during the rainy season. The power thus generated would be handed over to the Karnataka Power Corporation (KPC), which, in turn, would supply power for the next eight months to pump water.

The Minister said the work on this proposal, which was expected to cost Rs. 100 crore, would be entrusted to a private agency on the build, operate, and transfer basis. To recover a part of the expenses, entrance fees would be collected from visitors and tourists, he said.

Infrastructure facilities such as Sulabh Shouchalayas would be built at the falls, he said and added that the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board had given water connection to the Jog Falls complex at a cost of Rs. 49 lakh. He said the shopping complex comprised 18 shops built at a cost of Rs. 48 lakh.

Alexander said a boat cruise would be introduced from A.B. Site, the Sharavathy Hydel Project generating station, to Gerusoppa on the Sharavathy at an estimated cost of Rs. 10 lakh.

Referring to a long-standing demand to lay a ropeway at the falls, he said it was among the six proposals under the consideration of the authority. The other places where ropeways were proposed to be laid included Lalbagh of Bangalore, Chamundi Hills of Mysore, Nandi Hills, Kodachadri of Kollur, and Raja Seat of Madikere.

He said the Taj Group of Hotels had sought 15 acres of land to construct a medium-range hotel near Jog Falls, which would be considered favourably. The KPC had approved the introduction of water sports at the Talakalale Balancing Reservoir of Sharavathy Hydel Project, he said and added that a rest house at Agumbe in Tirthahalli belonging to the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation would be given a facelift at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh.

The Minister for Health and Family Welfare and district in-charge, Kagodu Thimmappa, the Joint Commissioner for Tourism, Jaishankar, and the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Tushar Girinath, participated in the meeting.

Earlier, Mr. Alexander inaugurated the shopping complex and laid the foundation stone for the garden at Linganamakki.

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