TUMAKURU: Madhugiri Hills, the second largest monolith in Asia, about 45 km from here, may get a ropeway project to attract more tourists.
As part of the Tourism Department’s initiative, Kolkota-based Conveyor and Ropeway Services Ltd conducted a joint survey with the help of Revenue and Forest Departments and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday.
In the day-long survey, MLA K N Rajanna, the officials concerned, including Tourism Department assistant director Cheluvamba, Madhugiri AC Anitha Lakshmi, trekked the hills from two directions to check the feasibility.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had announced the project in the 2015 budget. In fact, the concept had taken shape during the time of the BJP government when Gali Janardhana Reddy was tourism minister but it did not move further. The MLA, who reportedly took the initiative, said if the ropeway project is implemented, the hills with a fort, a pond, a barn and many temples in the vicinity built during the time of Vijayanagara empire, will attract tourists and historians from the country and abroad. AC Anitha Lakshmi said a report on the feasibility of the project will soon be submitted to the government, seeking grants. Standing at 1,200 metre height, the rock is second only to the Asia’s largest monolith at Savanarudga Hills (1,226 m). It has been attracting trekkers from Bengaluru during weekends for many years. A couple of years ago, a techie had slipped and spent the night in the bushes. Later, he was rescued by locals and the police.
