Kodagu: Thousands of tourists visit the Dubare elephant camp near Kushalnagar daily. During weekends the number swells up to 8,000 to 10,000.
The major attraction of this famous tourist spot is playing in the river Cauvery and elephants. Since the beginning, Forest Department operating three boats to ferry tourists to reach the elephant camp. But during summer the water flow decreases in the river and the forest department suspends the operation of mechanised boats.
Forest officials say that a boat was damaged earlier, which dashed to rock inside water. If we operate other boats would also damage as it has rocks inside the water. The residents of Dubare urged the authorities to construct a hanging bridge across the river Cauvery. But the District Administration has shelved the ambitious project of constructing a hanging bridge that was originally planned to be 110
metres in length and having a width of 1.8 metres. The funds that were sanctioned for the project have been withdrawn and it has been used for Covid relief.
The proposal for the hanging bridge was submitted by Kodagu Tourism Department to the Forest Department and the latter had opined that as thousands of tourists visit Dubare every year, a hanging bridge that connects one side of the river to the other would be an added attraction.
The proposed hanging bridge was supposed to have three columns- two at the sides and one in the middle – and was 1.8 metres wide. The Tourism Department first sent a proposal in 2015-2016 and the estimated cost was Rs. 2.35 Crore. The estimate was later revised in 2020 to Rs. 4 Crore and Rs. 1.5 Crore was reserved for the purpose but money was utilised for Covid issues.
Now, the tourists have to use rafting boats to reach the elephant camp, they are charging Rs. 50 for two sides which is much more to cross the 100-metre river. Taluk Panchayat member C. L. Vishwa said, “We have been urging the District Administration and Forest Department to construct a hanging bridge but they did not heed our long-standing demand. He said many tribal families residing in Dubare, face hardships to cross rivers during the rainy season. The construction of the bridge is helpful for them and also for thousands of tourists.”
