Chamarajanagar police warn against illegal coracle rides in Cauvery River

MYSURU: Tourists who are planning to unwind with a coracle ride in Cauvery river may face legal action as the activity is illegal. Chamarajanagar district police have warned strict action against the violators.
Despite repeated warnings by the authorities, tourists continue to take coracles rides in the river in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district. In order to put an end to the risky rides, the district police had erected signboards, warning both tourists and coracle owners of legal action.
Lockdown restrictions and the subsequent relaxation under Unlock, especially those with regard to the opening of tourist places, is keeping the authorities on their toes.Their biggest worry is hundreds of tourists flocking to tourist places in general and those near Cauvery river in particular.
Bharachukki Falls, Madhyaranganatha Swamy Temple, Shimsha, and Wellesley Bridge, popular tourists destinations in the district, are frequented by many tourists everyday. Besides flouting health-related guidelines by not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing, some of them are also involved in illegal/ dangerous coracle rides in the river, which is in spate following heavy rain in the region in the recent past. Worse still, they don’t even wear life-jackets. A few years ago, six tourists had lost their lives when a coracle capsised in Hogenakkal Falls.
Kollegal DSP Nagaraj told TOI that coracle rides have been stopped in Cauvery river. “It is illegal to take tourists in coracles. We have given instructions to coracle owners, and also put up signboards about the same to warn them and also tourists.”