Theme parks at farm lands
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24/07/2008
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Deccan Chronicle (Hyderabad)
Hyderabad, July 23: It will be a double bonanza for farmers and their children. While irrigation projects under the Jalayagnam banner will help the farmers to draw water, the state tourism department's initiative to develop tourism centres at the irrigation project sites will help the wards of the farmers earn a livelihood.
All the irrigation projects would be developed as regional centres of tourist attraction by creating modern entertainment amenities. Of 72 irrigation projects that are under construction in different districts, 34 projects have been identified as tourism centres.
These tourism centres will have water sports, budget hotels, entertainment games, trekking and boating facilities. The tourism department is currently scouting for private players who can invest money to set up projects like the Disneyland, theme parks and facilities to organise adventure games.
Vamsadhara barrage in Srikakulam district, Thotapally barrage in Vizainagaram and Thandava, Meghadri Gadda reservoirs in Visakhaptnam district will be opened for private partnership. In coastal Andhra region, the Sir Arthur Cotton barrage and Yeleru reservoir in East Godavari, Indira Sagar (Polavaram) in West Godavari, Prakasam barrage in Krishna and Pulichinthala in Guntur district will also be opened for irrigation tourism.
Swarnamuki, Somasila and Kandaleru projects in Nellore have also been included in the list. Mallemadugu and Kalyani dam in Chittor, Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy reservoir, Gandikota and Mylavaram reservoirs in Kadapa, Penna Ahobilam balancing reservoir in Ananthpur and modernisation of Srisailam tourism in Kurnool have been included as part of irrigation tourism.
In Telangana region, Priyadarsini Jurala in Mahbubnagar, beautification of existing Nagarjuna Sagar project area in Nalgonda, Singur in Medak, Nizam Sagar and Sriram Sagar in Nizamabad, Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar, Kadem project in Adilabad, Ramappa Lake, Lakhnavaram reservoir and Pakhal lake in Warangal, Wyara and Kinnerasani projects in Khammam district have been identified for the purpose. The tourism centres near Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs are drawing large number of tourists.