Tenders floated to develop Varuna Lake as an adventure sports destination: DC

Mysuru: Mysuru district, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty, holds immense potential for tourism development.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikanth Reddy emphasised this during a District Tourism Development Committee meeting.

He announced the preparation of a comprehensive report to identify and implement measures for enhancing the district’s tourist spots.

Promoting homestays

The DC highlighted the unique charm of homestays, which offer visitors an authentic experience of village life. To maintain the essence of these establishments, he clarified that homestays should comprise no more than five rooms.

He also directed authorities to inspect urban hotels converting into homestays. He mandated that those who own smaller homestay setups with fewer than five rooms and reside on-site would not require conversion approvals.

The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner has been instructed to issue the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOC) to facilitate this process.

Development of Varuna Lake

In a significant move, tenders have been issued for the development of Varuna Lake as a tourist attraction. Plans include introducing adventure sports and recreational activities such as zip lines, sky cycles and giant swings.

Joint Director of the Tourism Department, M.K. Savitha, was tasked with identifying two or three additional lakes in the district for establishing boating facilities.

Direct partnerships or private collaborations to enhance the Tourism Department’s social media presence were also proposed at the meeting.

Swadesh Darshan 2.0

The meeting also shed light on the progress of the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 initiative by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Under Phase 1 of the project, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mysuru Zoo and Karanji Lake has been submitted and tenders have been called for introducing Tonga rides and ecological experiences.

In Phase 2, the old Deputy Commissioner’s Office in the heart of Mysuru city is set to be converted into a museum. The Detailed Project Report for this project has already been submitted to the Ministry of Tourism, and final approval and fund release are awaited.

Savitha told the meeting that homestays are not commercial enterprises but rather cultural assets that highlight the region’s heritage. The Central Tourism Department is contributing to the district’s efforts by installing selfie points and informational boards at prominent tourist destinations.

She further proposed that the official Mysuru logo be uniformly adopted across Government offices and other sectors to strengthen the city’s brand identity.

The meeting was attended by MLC Vivekananda, Ashaad-Ur-Rahman Shariff, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Dr. K.N. Basavaraju, DCP Muthuraju, Assistant Director of Tourism Department Prabhuswamy, GSS Yoga Institution’s D. Srihari, Tourist Guides Association President Ashok and other district-level officials.