BHUBANESWAR: The Tourism Department is planning to introduce water sports at Puri beach and other water bodies in the State.
Apparently, two private agencies have submitted proposals to the department to introduce water sports like jet skiing at Puri beach and hovercraft on Puri-Ramchandi-Chandrabhaga stretch. The department officials, who held a meeting with the agencies in this regard recently, have asked the latter to get statutory clearances from departments concerned and submit a formal proposal to the Tourism Department.
While the first agency has identified a spot near Mangala river mouth in Puri to introduce water sports, another agency has proposed to run hovercraft from Puri to Chandrabhaga via Ramchandi.
“Introduction of adventure sports at Puri beach will be an added attraction for tourists. But their safety is our first priority. Hence, before starting these activities, we have asked the agencies to get safety clearances from the Government departments and give us the demo,” said Secretary of the Department, Arvind Padhee.
Despite the fact that Puri registers highest footfall of tourists in Odisha who mostly throng Jagannath temple and the beach, there are not many options for tourists for recreational purposes. Keeping this in mind, the Tourism Department in 2012 had decided, ahead of the tourism season (October to February), to introduce adventure sports at Puri beach by October last year.
The empowered committee on investment, headed by the then chief secretary, had approved the projects which were to be implemented on the beaches in Puri and Chandrabhaga and Ramchandi near Konark.
A Mumbai-based company was assigned to commission water sports on a public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. It was decided that the company will develop infrastructure in terms of purchasing speed boats and water scooters for adventurous activities like boating, water-biking, water-skiing and surfing.
The State Government was to provide space on the beaches to private parties to establish restaurants and cafeterias at the locations. All this would have been implemented at the cost of around `one crore. But, as the department faced tourism infrastructure loss of over `one crore in cyclone Phailin, these projects were shelved. The department had this year sought fresh plan proposals from the private players.