NEW DELHI: The tourism department plans to set up cafeterias at Yamuna riverfront and city forests for boosting tourism in the national capital for which it is already in talks with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
An official said the department already had an informal discussion with the DDA but a formal approval will be required for the same. “The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) will have a proper business plan. We are requesting the DDA for land at Yamuna riverfront and in city forests or district parks, where we could put up cafeterias. We will take a formal approval for this,” said the official.
Non-availability of space or land is a major hurdle as the DTTDC doesn’t have land of its own.”For these kinds of ideas, we have to depend on other government agencies. Until we reach out to them, we can do nothing to promote tourism in the national capital,” said the official. Once the approval comes, the DTTDC plans to introduce cafeteria in Mehrauli Archaeological Park and place kiosks in regional parks under the jurisdiction of the DDA.
Professor CR Babu, emeritus and head of the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystem (CEMDE) at Delhi University, said the department first requires permission from the principle committee of the National Green Tribunal. He added that before all such initiatives, efforts should be made to revitalise the river. “Who will go to take a cup of coffee by the side of a polluted river? They will get to see only dirt, have pungent smell. First, the department should rejuvenate the Yamuna. The river should have clean water,” said Babu, who is helping in restoring the wetlands near the Yamuna.
Similarly, Manoj Misra, head, Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, said that setting up of cafeteria at riverfront is not a good idea. “The riverbank is not for recreational activities. This is a strange kind of tourism that until you eat something there, you can’t enjoy nature or your experience is not complete.”