Mookaneri Lake, a major tourist attraction

With mercury soaring high, residents of Salem make a beeline to Mookaneri Lake, which is brimming to its capacity. —Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

The brimming picturesque Mookaneri Lake, a major water body, in Salem city has become a main tourist attraction.

The people of the city and other parts of the district who have been suffering from sweltering heat for the past couple of months have been making a beeline to the lake both in the morning and evening hours. During the weekends, the crowd gets doubled.

The Public Works Department’s 39-acre water spread, resurrected in 2010 by Salem Citizens Forum at an outlay of Rs. 87 lakh under the public initiative, is now a sweet home to birds and flora of all hues.

The lake has turned into a tourists’ paradise, thanks to the presence of park, seating arrangements, flower pants on the bunds and other basic amenities, apart from parking lot for vehicles.

The lake got heavy flow of water when the district experienced incessant rainfall in the months of November and December.

The main advantage of this lake is its presence in the city limits.

The residents of Hasthampatti and a few other parts of the city can reach the lake by walk. Hence, many families have been visiting this lake in the morning and evening hours for spending their time without incurring any big expenditure.

The presence of water in abundance in the lake has improved the ground water level in the surrounding areas in a big way.

Local fishermen are also involved in fishing and a good number of people could be seen in the morning hours particularly on Saturdays and Sundays for purchasing the same.

There is also a mini auditorium set up in a natural environment.

The local people feel that private organisations or the Corporation could organise cultural programmes like light music concerts, street plays etc here in the evening hours, particularly during the week ends.