SOMASILA: In a bid to boost tourism in the State and create more eco-tourism spots, V Srinivas Goud, the minister for Tourism and Culture inaugurated an A/C two-storeyed ferry and three-star cottages at the backwaters of river Krishna in Somasila, Kollapur (around 250 km from Hyderabad) on November 21.
“As Somasila is surrounded by dense forests and is on the banks of the river Krishna, it had once become a Naxal-prone area. However, the Telanagana tourism department is all set to develop the place into a world-class eco-tourism spot,” Srinivas Goud told the Express.
The 10 newly-constructed cottages in Somasila, which overlook the river Krishna, have single rooms and a dormitory. Tourists can opt for the ferry service, which has a spacious AC restaurant, and an open-air cafe on the upper deck onboard.
“We will start the package service from Somasila to Srisailam in the coming weeks,” said D Manohar, MD, Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation. About 18 km away from Somasila, in Singotam, the town of historic temples, TSTPC has also launched dormitory cottage services with water sports facilities.
“We are planning to identify several treks and other water-sports that can be developed here,” said Beeram Harshavardhan, MLA, Kollapur. The Somasila project has been developed under the Swadesh-Darshan scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh. Further, the Singotam project has been developed at a cost of Rs 7 lakh.
Somasila room cost
AC: Rs 999
Non-AC: Rs 500
Cruise Boat