VIJAYAWADA: In a first-of-its kind initiative in the State, the AP Tourism Department is going to introduce eco-friendly solar boats at Venkatapuram Cheruvu, Tirupati, AP Tourism CEO and managing director Himanshu Shukla has said.
The Tourism Department signed a MoU with Dolphin Recreation, manufacturer and importers of the eco-friendly boats based at Udaipur, Rajasthan, at a programme held here on Thursday. As part of the agreement, Dolphin Recreation will operate five Solar Shikar Boats, one floating restaurant and a rescue boat at Venkatapuram Cheruvu, Tirupati.
Speaking on the occasion, Himanshu Shukla said that the eco- friendly boats will accommodate four adults and a driver at a time. He said the boats are noise and pollution-free. “There are only a handful of such boats operating on solar power in the country. We wanted to include an eco-friendly boat in our fleet of water sports since Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on bringing into use green energy,” he said.
Along with the eco-friendly boat ride, a temporary boat ride (water-based) will also be introduced at Venkatapuram Cheruvu, he said. The boat rides at Bhavani Island in Vijayawada, Cruise rides from Rajamahendravaram to Papikondalu and boat house rides in Konaseema are receiving tremendous response from the tourists, he said. Dolphin Recreation MD Atul Bajaj was present on the occasion.