Buoyed by the resounding success last year, the district administration has converted part of the Cauvery river bed near Amma Mandapam in Srirangam into a recreation spot this summer.
Called the ‘summer beach,’ a stretch of about a kilometre of the river bed has been cleaned and brightly lit to enable people enjoy an outing in the evening. Last year, the idea proved a big hit with thousands of city residents converging at the spot with the district administration also organising cultural events in the evenings.
The officials hit upon the idea as the old Cauvery bridge had become a popular hangout spot in the evenings among those yearning for some cool breeze after a sweltering day. For a city that offers very few options for entertainment and leisure, the river bed was seen as a spot ideal for an outing with cool breeze wafting across the bone dry river bed. With the summer being severe this year, the city’s most popular destination for an outing could well be the Cauvery over the next 30 to 45 days.
On Saturday, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries T.P. Poonachi and Collector Jayashree Muralidharan participated in the opening ceremony. The district authorities have lined up a slew of cultural programmes over the next few days.
