Jog Falls may become all-season spot, but at huge cost

A gargantuan increase in the ticket fares could be in the offing for those visiting the iconic Jog Falls in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district.

A gargantuan increase is likely in the ticket fares for those visiting the iconic Jog Falls in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district.

Entry fee/gate fee will go up from the existing Rs 5 per person to Rs 200 for a close-up view, if the proposed artificial waterfalls concept materialises in the next couple of years, as envisioned by the state government. The fee increase for visitors is based on the global expression of interest tender floated by the government recently.

The Jog Management Authority (JMA), which had kept the project pending for over a decade, is now working towards speedy execution of the same at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore. It hopes to start ground work in the next couple of months.

The project has been devised on the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model, in which it has been proposed to keep the Falls in its full glory all year long, as opposed to the present four months during the monsoon. The plan is to recycle water and release it during the dry months.

The company that bags the project will generate electricity during the wet season (June-November) and sell it to the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd at Rs 3.4 per unit.

Recently, the two bidders - Abu Dhabi-based New Medical Centre (NMC) and Central government agency National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited made presentations before the technical committee of the JMA, outlining the design and modalities to be adopted. The NBCC has stated that it will act only as a project consultant and that the State government will be required to fund the project. The NMC, owned by UAE businessman B R Shetty, has come forward to fund the entire project. The company has also proposed to set up a fantasy park, resorts, helipad and other commercial facilities in the next phase of the project.

The project was mooted by H R Vishwanath, former principal of the BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru. He happens to be a relative of Sir M Visvesvaraya, the architect of erstwhile Mysore state. Vishwanath who has been appointed the consultant for the project by JMA, said that Visvesvaraya had felt that the water from the falls was being wasted and that it could be effectively utilised. While the contractor will get the revenue generated from entry and parking fees, he will have to divert the revenue generated from the sale of power to JMA. Vishwanath said NMC would bag the project as NBCC has said that it will not be able to make any investment.