Travelouge - Hyderabad to nagarjunasagar




Left the Catchment Area & Right the Dam Gates in the background

Nagarjunasagar:
  Wow, one of those spots that under promises but over delivers. I went there more as a checkbox thing. Honestly wasn't expecting much, but I WAS SURPRISED. It's worth a visit the view is majestic to say the least.  Even when it has nothing, you will be in awe of the sheer enormity of the same. They have a 45 minute Ferry ride to an island that boasts of Buddhist relics and I must say it did not dis appointed.
The only remorse was I could not see the "Majestic Site" with Gates opened.

Travel from Hyderabad:

• App. 185 Kms , 220 if you include Ferry launch pad and Ettipotala waterfall
• Head directly on the ORR, travel app 65 Km ( From Gachibowli). Follow signage.
• Last 120 Kms are 2 lane, No divider but decent road.
• Traffic average mainly trucks.

Pros:

• World's biggest masonry dam and it wont diss-appoint.
• You can cover everything in one day. ( I left Hyd @ 6 AM and was back by 7 PM)
• The catchment area is huge, amazingly huge
• They have a 45 minute (One way) ferry ride to an island which is pretty scenic
• None of the entry tickets are costly.
• If the gates are opened, you will be awe stuck for sure
• Its a 590 ft deep catchment area
• You will not be stuck for lack of directions. There is just one main road.

Cons:

• The Ettipotala waterfall is a big dis-appointment. The recently created signage's talks of a Crocodile sanctuary which had seen crocodile last in 1993
• You cant go down and have a closer look at the waterfall
• The Ferries are not well maintained, it becomes too slippery there
• Don't expect too many food outlets, Adventure sports or Shopping malls.
• The Gates are opened for may be a month or two in the whole year.
• If you plan to do a night halt, there is actually nothing worth the additional stay

The cocktail of Honesty, Corruption, Media & Politics

Wow one Suspension catches the Fancy of Entire Country. God I am impressed but confused. What's so unique about this.

• Honesty getting punished is not a new thing
• SP leaders speaking a language of " Who cares" is not new
• An officer getting suspended is not new.
• Sand Mafia is almost as old as The Noida real estate boom.

Then what ??
 Long ago I learned that It's not the 100th blow that makes a boxer fell, but the 99 blows that went before that. I had a feeling that Durga became the rallying point for the IAS officers who were somehow feeling too constrained in the current UP regime. She is too young an officer to be corrupted, her childlike innocence and honesty made her the rallying point

Interesting part:

1. I am surprised at the low Political acumen of SP Guys. They allowed it to go out of hands just because they kept on speaking a language of someone intoxicated by Power. They spoke venom when it was sure to backfire.
2. Durga played cool and watched it all happening from a distance. She allowed a very fair and unbiased play.
3. Akhilesh as always turned out to be a good guy caught in wrong party.
4. Media played an amazingly proactive role, finding al skeletons
5. SC said "Brave Girl" but refused to interfere.
6. A suspension became a bargaining chip for Food security bill.

Well UP has a strange Irony, You don't get hung or coalition govts there, you get absolute majority but the end result is anarchy.

But I am sure UP govt. will learn a lesson in the repercussions of punishing Honesty. Way to Go Durga.