Creek cruises will soon be rolled out for tourists at the beach town of Digha in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal.
The services are expected to be operated from around Durga Puja. Incidentally, the creek cruises will be similar to the ones operated in the Sundarbans.
The cruise will set out from the jetty point near Nayakali Temple and will proceed inland.
In all, a vessel can accommodate up to 80 passengers and there will be two cruise trips per day initially. Each trip will last about an hour. The process of preparing a tender to run the cruise on a public-private partnership is on.
Reports state that the creek off the Bay of Bengal, which is away from the rough waters of the sea, is apt for the cruise services to be operated.
Currently, the jetty at the boarding point is under construction, and it is expected that special events during festivals may also be organised there.
Known for its beautiful beaches, Digha is a popular weekend getaway from Kolkata with which it is well-connected, as well as with other cities in West Bengal, both by road and railways.
Some of the popular tourist destinations in the beach town include Shankarpur beach, Udaipur beach, Talseri beach, Marine aquarium, Chandpur beach, Amarabati park, Dheusagar Park New Digha and Digha Ropeway. There are popular amusement parks in the town as well.
The state government will be hoping that the new creek tourism will bring in more tourists to Digha, especially during the festive season of Durga Puja, and offers more employment to the locals of the popular beach town, especially since the mangroves there don’t usually see high tourist footfalls.