HYDERABAD: The tourism boating destination at Durgam Cheruvu overlooking the recently inaugurated cable bridge in the city is a hit among tourists and locals alike. While there are few other boating spots in the city, the Durgam Cheruvu Boating Club, near Gachibowli, seems to have now become the latest favourite for crowds during weekends and holidays. Durgam Cheruvu, which Hyderabadis fondly refer to as Secret Lake, has always had a unique appeal. But the fresh interest in the destination is being credited to the cable bridge, which is an engineering marvel. Located in the heart of the city, the Durgam Cheruvu saw a drop in visitors over last year, owing to construction activity.
Besides, the Tourism Department had also stopped boating facilities a few years ago. In August this year, soon after the inauguration of the cable bridge, the Tourism Department launched ferry boating and speed boating at the lake. Ever since, citizens have been flocking to the spot which has overnight evolved into a tourist paradise.
“There are two ferries, each with a capacity of 80 people and two speed boats with a capacity of four people on each boat. Every day the ferries take at least four-five tours of the lake that is spread over 63 acres. On weekends and public holidays, the rush is more,” said the boating site manager. He added, “There has been a five-fold increase in tourists to the lake now and all because of the cable bridge.” A Sripradha, along with her family, who has come down to visit her from Bengaluru expressed her joy after stepping off the ferry ride.
“This is my parent’s first visit to Hyderabad and I am glad that I got them here. They love the scenic beauty of the lake overlooking the beautiful bridge. They said it felt like the movies,” she gushed. Another local tourist, M Porandalla said, “In the evening, when the cable bridge is lit up, the view of it, especially while taking a boat ride is magnificent, I would encourage more people to come here.”
MD of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation, B Manohar Rao, stated that the destination has a lot of potential and can become as popular as the Hussainsagar boating site. “Due to Covid, not a lot of tourists want to sit in an enclosed area to eat. This is why we are not rushing to start the floating restaurant,” he said.