Cable car to link Cauvery falls proposed

A cable car link between the two falls on the Cauvery — Gaganachukki and Bharachukki — at Sivasamudram has been proposed by the local legislator and minister for women and child welfare P M Narendraswamy. In a blueprint submitted to the government, he suggested developing Sivasamudram and places around it like Bheemeswari, Doddamakali, Belakawadi and Basavana Betta under private-public participation (PPP) as they had the potential to attract tourists and also create jobs for locals.

Besides the cable car, which would be the first-of-its-kind in the country, his proposals include developing a children’s park, river rafting and other water sports. Some 2-3 parties had responded favourably to the plan, he told the media at Sivasamudram in Mandya district on Tuesday.

The government will invite President Pratibha Patil for the oft-postponed centenary celebrations of the Sir K Seshadri Iyer hydroelectric generating station at Sivasamudram, which is still functional. The epochal project was the first of its kind to go commercial in 1902 under the then erstwhile rulers of Mysore. It was conceived and set up by then Dewan of Mysore, Seshadri Iyer, after whom it is named.

The longest transmission line at the highest voltage in the world was built to meet the power requirements of the famous Kolar gold mines. It also lit up Bangalore and Mysore cities and heralded industrialisation of the then princely state.

Located about 120 km from Bangalore, Sivasamudram island is surrounded by several small islands amidst the river Cauvery. The river cascades from a height of 106 metres creating two waterfalls, one on the western side and the other on the eastern. The modernised 42-Mw hydel power station is located at the foot of Gaganachukki, 67 km from Mysore.