The long-awaited development of Gandhi Hill, which has been in a state of neglect for years, is likely to become a reality soon.
The Department of Tourism has on Monday given an administrative sanction for ₹5 crore towards the establishment of Mahatma Gandhi Planetarium, gallery, library and toy train besides creation of facilities and other basic amenities for tourists, according to a government order. The historic Gandhi Hill will be made into a tourist hub by the Bhavani Island Tourism Corporation.
The Gandhi Planetarium on the foot of the hill was inaugurated in 1971 and has not seen any development since then. Earlier attempts to develop the planetarium and hill turned futile due to various reasons.
Wildlife park
On the other hand, the department also sanctioned ₹8 crore for the establishment of a wildlife park that will include bird arena and sea lion park in Bhavani Island. Under the project, civil and other specialised works for the establishment of the park will be taken up.
The Tourism department is also gearing up to host the second Air Show-2018 on the banks of River Krishna near Bhavani Island at a cost o ₹80 lakh. The show will be organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), New Delhi from November 23 to 25.