JOIN USChief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has grand plans to transform the famed KRS dam in Mandya district, which boasts of being the first irrigation dam in India.
Kumaraswamy and his cabinet colleagues D K Shivakumar (Water Resources) and Sa Ra Mahesh (Tourism) want to develop the dam site with its riveting Brindavan Gardens on the lines of Disneyland in the US.
The chief minister, in his budget, said the dam, with its garden, had lost its glamour in recent years. He has proposed to bring back the lost grandeur.
While Kumaraswamy has allocated Rs 5 crore to prepare the detailed project report for the project, he has not cited the estimated cost of the project. But government sources said the project cost would be over Rs 400 crore.
The project will be developed on a public private partnership model.
Named after Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV of the erstwhile Mysore, the dam is built near the conjunction of three rivers Cauvery, Hemavathi and Lakshmantirtha. A major source of drinking water for Mysuru and Bengaluru cities, KRS dam is also one of the main sources of irrigation water in the Cauvery basin. It’s major purpose is to ensure power supply to the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric power station.
The dam site is bestowed with colourful and illuminated gardens and musical fountains. The dam site is not only one of the most popular destinations, it is often used for film shoots.