Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that the district administration is mulling over organising street festivals — food and art festivals — during weekends in Mangaluru.
“With the stretch of the road from Clock Tower to A B Shetty Circle being converted into one-way for traffic, we get nearly a six-lane road. One portion of the road can be blocked for hosting street festivals on the stretch and even Kadri Park Road will also be used for street festivals," he said.
A calendar of events will be prepared in advance for the people to know what is happening during the weekends once the Covid-19 positivity rate reduces and the threat of the third wave of Covid-19 is overcome.” he told media persons during an interaction organised by DK Working Journalists Association, on Friday.
Stakeholders' meet
The DC said that on World Tourism Day, the DK tourism development committee will organise a workshop to discuss the path of development, reasons for lagging behind in the tourism sector with a focus on beach tourism, religious tourism, medical tourism, ecotourism, and cultural tourism with the stakeholders. The theme of this year’s Tourism Day is inclusive growth.
Trekking trail
The DC said that there are trekking trails in Belthangady, Sullia, Puttur taluks. “The district administration has held discussions with DCF Wildlife of Karkala on promoting such trails using the local guides. This, in turn, will also help the homestays that are situated nearby.”
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There are also plans to resume Kambala in Pilikula. The elected representatives of the region have submitted proposals to develop kudrus (islands) at an estimated cost of Rs 130 crore to the Centre. Accordingly, plans are being worked out under an integrated island zone management plan.
The district administration will also rope in both private operators and the KSRTC to operate hop-on-hop-off buses to tourist destinations. Even the hotel industries will be involved.
“I have also written to the government to include either Deputy Commissioner or Principal Secretary in the board of trustees of NMPT. This, in turn, will help the district administration to raise the issues pertaining to fishermen and also on promoting tourism,” added the DC.
As a chairman of Pilikula Development Authority, efforts are being made to get an elephant, zebra and giraffe to the Pilikula Biological Park either through an animal exchange programme or through other projects. “Efforts are being made to promote tourist spots of Dakshina Kannada in major airports in the country. There are seven to eight archaeological sites in Dakshina Kannada. Efforts will be made to connect it through QR code to the tourists,” explained the DC.
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