BENGALURU: Joining the likes of Nagwara, Madiwala and Yediyur lakes, the city’s biggest water body, Yelahanka lake, too has started boating facilities. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) handed over the project of providing the boating facility to the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) a year back.
This week, KSTDC finally started the facility at the 300-acre lake. “Since the lake is quite big, we wanted to make good use of it. The project was handed over to a contractor, who will pay the KSTDC monthly rental charges,” said a KSTDC official.
There are six pedalled-boats, which include two and four-seaters, one rowboats, two medium-sized and two large sized motorboats. People can head to the park between 10 am and 6 pm to enjoy the service. “The prices of the boat rides are also minimal. It starts with Rs 30 for children and Rs 50 for adults for a 30-minute ride, however, the prices differ with the type of boats the visitors choose. Right now we even have discounts for children and school students,” said the KSTDC official.
Resident Poorvi S expressed her elation at having a tourist spot just 1 km away from her house. Other residents too expressed their joy regarding the same and have already started using the facility. “A few years ago, this lake was filled with sewage and garbage. After its rejuvenation, there was a jogging track, gym area for men and women, sitout areas and many varieties of plants were put up. Now that it is a clean lake again, it has made us really happy and we visit the lake every day. My children went for a ride and wanted to go multiple times. The boat’s condition was good too,” said Rajeev Prakash, a resident of Yelahanka.
Kumar Pushkar, managing director of KSTDC and director of tourism, said, “Earlier, we ran the service in Ulsoor but it was later stopped as BBMP gave it to private vendors. But now we are happy that we have got a chance to start in Yelahanka too. This will promote tourism in the city.”
Another senior official from KSTDC disclosed that if people start utilising the facility
well they will work on including water sports too. “If many people opt for the boat ride,
we will also work on adding jet ski, banana ride, water balloon ride and water trampolines,” he said.