VIJAYAWADA: Tourists and enthusiasts of water sports have some good news as boating services are likely to resume in a week. Boating and water sports were stopped after the recent floods in Krishna and Godavari rivers.“Meetings with irrigation officials are being held almost every day. Daily fluctuation in water levels has made the decision process difficult for us. We don’t want to jeopardise people’s safety for their entertainment and fun,” Pravin Kumar, Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), told TNIE.
He said, “With the reduction in water levels in the rivers, we are hoping to get a green singal to restart the activities within a week.” “Talks are going on in a positive note for the past couple of days. So we think we may get the permission soon,” he added. The tourism sector suffered `2 crore loss after boating was suspended as a result of the recent floods and the pandemic. “We resumed the services on September 8, but had to stop again in just two days. This led to a loss of `2 crore. Subsequent losses may be more as Bhavani Island and Rushikonda beach in Vizag earn their major part of revenue from boating and water sports,” Kumar explained.
The APTDC MD said the department is confident that the losses will be recovered during Diwali, Christmas and Sankranti festivals. “We could not make up for losses during Dasara season due to floods. We are confident of overcoming losses as we have noticed that more number of tourists are visiting the tourist spots with each passing day.” Meanwhile, the maritime department has issued licences to operate to 40 out of 50 boats of the APTDC. However, private operators are still struggling to get the same.