Zipline over Karanji Lake

• Rs. 18.36 cr. Eco Experience Zone project work underway at Lake
• Two 18-metre-high pillars, 250- metre adventure planned

Do we need it?

Environmental activists have raised concerns over the proposed zipline inside Karanji Lake Nature Park and the adjoining Mysuru Zoo, both eco-sensitive zones, citing worsening traffic congestion caused by converging roads and heavy tourist inflow. They have also flagged safety risks linked to pillars being erected for the facility and recalled the earlier unscientific ropeway proposal atop Chamundi Hill that was shelved after public opposition. Activists argue the Rs. 18.36-crore zipline allocation could instead revive the long-pending Zoo aquarium project, which has remained abandoned since 2018.

Mysuru, Feb. 18 (MTY&BCT)- Work has commenced on a zipline at the Karanji Lake Nature Park near Mysuru Zoo. The adventure facility will run from the southern to the northern side of the lake and preliminary civil works are already underway.

The project forms part of the Eco Experience Zone launched under the Central Government’s Swadesh Darshan scheme, which envisions transforming the ecological landscape surrounding the Zoo and Karanji Lake. The total estimated cost of the initiative is Rs. 18.36 crore.

The scheme proposes to link the Zoo and Karanji Lake and further connect them to Regional Museum of Natural History.

Planned attractions include an internal connectivity corridor between the Zoo and the lake, a treetop canopy walk, an eco-bridge connector, an eco-tower, a rustic rope bridge, a nature-themed food court, the zipline facility and provision for a lakeside walk.

The project is being implemented by Karnataka Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL), the executing agency of the Tourism Department.

Zoo had rejected the plan

It may be recalled that in March last year, Zoo authorities had rejected the Tourism Department’s proposal to develop Karanji Lake Nature Park as a tourist destination, citing environmental concerns and the risk of commercial exploitation that could harm the fragile ecosystem.

The then Zoo Executive Director had stated that such developments would violate environmental guidelines prescribed by the Central Zoo Authority and the Zoo Authority of Karnataka.

Despite the earlier rejection, work on the zipline has begun quietly, while there is little clarity on the status of other components proposed under the Eco Experience Zone.

Tourism Department officials told Star of Mysore that construction of the zipline started about one-and-a-half months ago and will involve erecting two pillars to support the structure.

The pillars are being erected- one on the Lalitha Mahal (south) side and the other on the Nazarbad (north) side. The zipline will stand 18 metres high and extend 250 metres in length, and is being executed by a Bengaluru-based contractor.

“Foundation work for the pillars is in full swing and the project timeline is nine months. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, following which operations will commence,” officials said.