The demand of Vijayapura residents to start a boating facility at the Gagan Mahal is all to be met soon as the district administration has made the required arrangements.
The facility will be introduced at an ancient moat adjacent the Gagan Mahal.
“We have already finalised the tender. Shortly, the agency will be given the contract to start the boating operation at the moat,” said Deputy Commissioner Y.S. Patil.
Speaking to The Hindu, he said that the facility is expected to be opened on September 27 which is World Tourism Day. The last time that the boating facility was provided at the moat was about four years ago during Navaraspur Utsav.
There was a demand to continue the facility, but it was withdrawn soon after the completion of the utsav.
One of the reasons is believed to be lack of cleanliness of the moat as sewage water used to be let out into it.
Later, the city corporation constructed a separate canal for sewage water which kept the moat water relatively clean.
However, since the moat still has some amount of waste, the district administration plans to direct the corporation to clean it before starting the facility here.
Though no charges have been fixed so far for the facility, however the district administration wants to keep it affordable.
“We will direct the agency to make sure that that charges are affordable which will allow the common people to make use of the facility,” Mr. Patil said.