TIRUCHY: Tourism enthusiasts described the river tourism proposal in Cauvery, along with Vaigai and Thamirabarani at Rs 53 crore allocation as a timely initiative that would strengthen the district’s tourism profile.
However, some urged caution, noting that factors like year-round water availability, environmental sustainability, navigability and passenger safety should be examined to ensure long-term success.
Usually, river tourism comprises recreational and travel experiences like boat rides, eco-trails along riverbanks, cultural and heritage tours, adventure sports like rafting, extended river cruises and visits to historical and heritage sites along rivers and canals, said N Saravanan, faculty member at a private college. The government should clarify the type of river tourism it wants to promote.
KP Ranga Prasad, an IT professional, said “We need to encourage inland water transport and tourism. Many tourism concepts can be developed, like tours covering temples along the Cauvery. This will help promote sustainable tourism, and water-based recreational activities are much needed in hot cities like Tiruchy and Madurai,” he said.
However, he added, “Except the Thamirabarani, Cauvery and Vaigai are not perennial rivers. River tourism can be operated only for a few months in a year. It looks like a dream project but its feasibility needs to be assessed. Generally, only 10,000 to 13,000 cusecs of water are released into the Cauvery. It remains to be seen whether this would provide sufficient depth,” he said.
S Vijayan, coordinator of the Cauvery River Protection Movement, cautioned that the number of boating and water-related accidents has increased in recent years. The government should first make the rivers free of illegal sand mining and pollution, to avoid accidents, he said.