Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SK)

Mangaluru, Jun 9: The musical fountain at Kadri Park which was inaugurated five years ago by the then chief minister Siddaramaiah during the Congress tenure needs to be revived to attract visitors. The musical fountain, spread on an area of 4.01 acre has been constructed at a cost of Rs 4.97 crore and the laser show at the spot been set up at a cost of Rs 2 crore.

Since 2020, the musical fountain has been completely stopped, unused and lying defunct. Now the Congress government has come to power once again under chief minister Siddaramaiah. They should now take steps to revive the musical fountain.

The condition of the musical fountain has turned pathetic without proper maintenance. The water in the fountain has not been cleaned for years which has made the spot a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The water pumps and pipes are fully rusted and broken, and there are shrubs all around the fountain. The melodic fountain may need to be renovated, as it has been shut down for more than three years now.

After the fountain was opened to public, there was no entry fee for three months. From April 20, 2018 onwards, an entry fee of Rs 50 for adults and Rs 25 for children was fixed. Later, the ticket price was reduced due to the reduction in the number of tourists and viewers. Now, even though the entry fee for Kadri Park where the musical fountain is located is just Rs 10, the number of visitors has come down drastically as the place is under-developed.

While the road leading to Kadri Park has been developed spending crores of rupees, the park itself and musical fountain remain under-developed.