Multifarious sights along River Krishna

From people diving into the flowing river for a swim, and fisherman waiting for a catch, to sand smugglers dredging the river bed, the River Krishna sees it all

The scintillating River Krishna, along which the city is located, provides a great view. However, boating along the river brings to light several activities that go unnoticed. Both legal and illegal.The river bed is a treasure trove for sand smugglers, and that is exactly what is being exploited. More than half a dozen such boats are pulling up sand from the river bed on a daily basis.

Surprisingly, each such motor boat, which is called dredger, brings three truck loads of sand from the bottom of the river. The speed with which the sand is dredged from the river, transported to the shore and filled into the trucks, suggests the urgency of the sand requirement for construction activity.

There are about 50 fishermen families that depend on regular fishing activity in the river. Though not many of them can be found fishing, a dozen or so fishermen try their luck with the nets cast in the water. They go into the river in the ordinary boats, most of them alone, and catch the fish for their living.

The river also sees a lot of people swimming. Members of the Aqua Devils Welfare Association that promotes swimming in the river are regulars. With the association’s office being located right on the banks of the river, the members enjoy their mornings and evenings swimming. It is difficult to spot them in the river unless one travels from either Vijayawada or Guntur.

The river attracts a lot of birds. Several species are spotted near the river hunting for fish. There are over half a dozen islands on the river, including the popular Bhavani Island. These islands now stand as potential tourist places in the light of the State government proposing its river view capital.

The tourist department is already working on special projects to promote tourism activity along the river and these islands are likely to become the residual State’s best tourist spots in the years to come. As the government also proposes five to six bridges across the river connecting the capital region to Vijayawada, these islands would assume more significance.