Traffic restrictions deny tourists chance to witness Laknavaram lake

Warangal: Call it lack of vision or poor planning, the one-way traffic restrictions to Medaram Jatara not only denied the devotees and tourists coming from far flung places the opportunity to view the scenic beauty of Laknavaram lake, but also causing a huge loss to State’s exchequer.

With road way the only option to reach Medaram, the Police department devised the one-way route plan for the vehicles heading to the biennial Jatara on National Highway-163. The vehicles have to take Pasra-Narlapur road to reach Medaram. Thereafter there is no going back. The vehicles have to take Bayyakkapet-Bhupalapalli-Ganapuram-Parkal route to get back to Hanamkonda/Warangal.

Usually, the devotees on their return journey from the festival visit the lake. But now with traffic restrictions in place, they were not being allowed to travel back on the same route. With this, they have to take a roundabout route i.e. Bayyakkapet-Bhupalapalli-Ganapuram-Palampet-Jangalapally crossroad to re-enter NH-163 to proceed to Laknavaram. Surprisingly, the tourists were also denied this option with the police closing the road heading to the lake at Chalwai Cross besides deploying a few personnel to ensure that tourists do not to enter the route to the lake.

Of late, the lake, which caught the eye of the tourists after the authorities installed a suspension bridge, has been witnessing a phenomenal rise in tourists’ inflow. In all, about 40,000 to 50,000 tourists from all over Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other states come to see the picturesque lake every month.

Lake Tourism manager C Raghuveer Sharma told The Hans India: “The revenue generated through gate receipts is anywhere between Rs 3.50 lakh and Rs 4 lakh a month. The income raised by the boating facility is even more which amounts to Rs 12 lakh a month.” Since the pre-jatara rush started in the last month, the tourist flow to lake is also on the rise significantly, he said.

The Tourism department also gets an income of Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 5 lakh a month through the guest house and the restaurant respectively. JVS Akhil Yadav of Hyderabad who along with his friends visited Medaram on Thursday and took a circuitous trip to visit the lake was dumbstruck after he found that the road was blocked. He said, “The traffic restrictions are understandable considering the traffic jam the people witnessed during the last jatara.

But it was surprising and uncalled-for for the authorities to shutdown the lake road denying the tourists an opportunity to unwind.” According to the sources, the Police department didn’t want to take a risk as all its personnel are engaged in ensuring smooth conduct of jatara.