Government to tap tourism potential of dam, river fronts

The State government has decided to tap the tourism potential of river fronts and major reservoirs in the State under Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis, Water Resources Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.

The Water Resources, Tourism and the Forest departments have been jointly preparing a plan to develop the dam sites like Almatti, Narayanapura, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Kabini and Harangi as tourist destinations.

Gardens, recreation facilities, tree houses, resorts and tents will be developed as part of the plan, he said in his reply to the Legislative Assembly on his department.

The plan also includes a ferry service between Almatti and Kudalasangama (Bagalkot district) on the lines of Goa. A high-level committee of officials will soon be set up to promote tourism near dams and along the rivers. Investors have already evinced interest in this regard, he added.

Besides, Patil said, the government had decided to promote drip irrigation in command areas in a big way.

The department wants farmers growing water-intensive crops like sugar cane to covert to drip irrigation.

“If it is not done, all our dams will be reduced to drinking water schemes in 10 to 20 years. Adopting micro irrigation is the only way to save water,” he added.

The department has been working out modalities for promoting micro irrigation among sugar cane farmers.

Sugar factories and experts from Israel have been involved in the planning. If necessary loan will be given to the farmers. Gestation period of about two years would be offered to them.

The target is to bring at least 50 per cent of sugar cane growing region under drip irrigation in five years, he said and added that the Central Water Commission had recently given strict direction to improve water using efficiency.

Agro industry corridor

Besides, the government has been planning to develop Haveri, Gadag, Belgaum and Bijapur districts as agro industrial corridor.

An estimated 4.28 lakh hectares of land in these districts will be brought under the drip irrigation.
The government is also planning to organise a separate global investors’ meet to attract investments to this region, Patil added.