Plans afoot to develop Varuna Lake into tourist attraction

Deputy Commissioner plans to develop tourist spots in Mysuru, including homestays, adventure sports, and heritage sites for tourism growth.

Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy on Thursday said steps will be taken to develop tourist destinations in Mysuru and its surrounding places as there is ample scope for developing tourism in the area, and a report on the sites that need to be developed will be prepared.

Presiding over the meeting of the Mysuru Tourism Development Committee at his office here, Mr. Reddy said that homestays should have only five rooms, and they must provide a different experience for visitors with a rural-like ambiance. The Tourism Department must find out whether the hotels have been transformed into homestays. There is no need for conversion if the homestays have less than five rooms, and the owner of the stay was residing in the same place.

The deputy commissioner told the commissioner of the Mysore City Corporation to issue NoC to such properties for developing the properties as homestays.

Mr. Reddy said tender has been invited for developing Varuna Lake into a tourist spot. Along the same lines, other lakes will also be developed with boating facilities.

Joint Director of Tourism M.K. Savita said homestays are not commercial establishments unlike hotels. Steps have been taken for installing signages and development of selfie points at the tourist destinations in the district. This project has been taken up by the Union government, she said.

She said approvals can be considered for starting adventure sports like zip line, sky cycle, and joint swing at the Varuna Lake premises. The Varuna Lake already has adventure sports, and these are the additional activities planned.

It was said that a detailed project report (DPR) for Eco Experience Zone, launched under the Swadesh Darshan project which is aimed at transforming the ecological landscape around Mysuru Zoo and Karanji Lake and linking the two with the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), is ready. Tenders have also been invited.