Popular pilgrimage and picnic spots, including bathing ghats along the Cauvery in Srirangapatna, will soon have additional infrastructure and sanitation facilities.
The State government, under the State Finance Commission (SFC), has released a special grant of Rs. 1 crore on Saturday to take up developmental works. Subsequently, the Srirangapatna Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to improve the infrastructure facilities by utilising this money.
The town of Srirangapatna, situated between Mysuru and Mandya, is always bustling with either devotees or tourists as it has over 30 popular religious centres/picnic spots. Of them, bathing ghats at Pachima Vahini, Sri Nimishambha temple and Ganjam attract devotees from different parts of the country. People throng to these places to offer pujas and also to immerse the ashes of their beloved ones as the places on the banks of the Cauvery are considered sacred.
But, according to the devotees, these places lack changing rooms, toilets, drinking water and other infrastructure facilities.
Permanent structures
“For the benefit of devotees, we will provide more facilities such as changing rooms and toilets,” Rajanna, Chief Officer of the Srirangapatna TMC, told The Hindu on Sunday.
Ganjam and bathing ghat near Sri Nimishambha temple lacked changing rooms. However, a few devotees donated a few iron structures to change clothes a few years ago.
However, most of them have corroded, while doors and locks of a few structures are not working.
“The Town Municipal Corporation would replace them with permanent structures,” the TMC Chief Officer further added.
Rs. 2.10 crore
Infrastructure works worth Rs. 1.10 crore have begun using the funds released by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDL). The Karnataka Land Army is constructing three changing rooms and a shopping complex with 30 rooms. “Now the government has released Rs. 1 crore. Soon the visitors will get more facilities such as toilets, parks and drinking water. We are also planning to develop a park along the recently developed road near the temple (by using the SFC grant). However, the MLA headed committee will finalise the works,” he said.