Date:20/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082056480100.htm

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Facelift for dam with boat house, park

L. Renganathan

JOY RIDE: Karur Collector T.N. Venkatesh (rear left), and others enjoying a boat ride in Ponnaniyaru Dam .

KULITHALAI: The scenic Ponnaniyaru Dam overlapping Karur and Tiruchi districts has got a facelift with the opening of the boat house and children’s park.

Improvements were undertaken by the Department of Tourism and the Karur district administration at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh.

The Government order on improving the dam park was issued in November 2006.

While 50 per cent of the total outlay was borne by the Department of Tourism, a sum of Rs. 6 lakh was released from the general fund of the Kadavur Panchayat Union and Rs. 6.5 lakh from the discretionary fund of Karur District Collector.

A sum of Rs. 10 lakh would be sanctioned for developing the road that served as a link to the dam park, Karur Collector T.N. Venkatesh promised, adding that depending on public patronage, more facilities would be brought to the children’s park and boat house.

Karur MP K.C. Palanisamy assured efforts would be made to operate more buses in the route to increase tourist arrivals.

The boat house was declared open last week.