The Telangana tourism department has launched a cruise service from Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam. The service commenced operations with an official inauguration ceremony held on Saturday. The cruise service aims to attract tourists seeking to enjoy the natural beauty along the Krishna River.
The boat journey is designed for sightseeing and offers views of notable locations, including Nagarjuna Konda, Nandikonda, Eleshwaram, and the Nallamala forest . The tourism department have also introduced a separate boat service that operates from Somasila, located in Nagarkurnool district, providing direct access to Srisailam.
The service features a 120-kilometre route, that will take approximately six hours to cover, with an air-conditioned boat that has a capacity of 120 seats.
Officials said Gosikhurd is the most suited location for a water tourism project and a cooperation agreement between the water resources and tourism departments will be signed for the project. Officials said that the project will cost around INR 101.33 crore as per preliminary plans.
The boat journey on the Somasila-Srisailam route costs INR 2,000 for adults and INR 1,600 for children. The ticket prices are exclusively for the boat ride, and tourists are responsible for covering their own accommodation and transportation expenses in Srisailam.The route was under consideration for the past five years, but it faced delays due to low water levels and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to recent monsoon rains, water levels in the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam reached the required level to enable the journey. The cruise will operate only if the water level in Nagarjunasagar Dam is above 575 feet.
In addition to this route, the department introduced a separate boat service from Somasila in Nagarkurnool district to Srisailam.
