The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board plans to develop the Tehri lake in the Garhwal district of Uttarakhand as part of the Tehri Mega Project. The Rs 5,000-crore Project involves major infrastructure development in the area surrounding the lake. The Uttarakhand government plans to develop an entire township along the lake and develop it as an international lakeside destination.
Dr Umakant Panwar, Tourism Secretary, Uttarakhand and CEO, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, said, “The Request For Proposal (RFP) for the Mega Project under PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode has been published in newspapers and is garnering interest. The Project would be completed in five to ten years and we see great potential in the destination, which is a three-hour drive from Dehradun. We are planning to include a number of activities along the rim of the Tehri lake. There will be hotels, resorts, training institutes, adventure sports like speedboat racing, sailing and paragliding. These will give scope for local employment. We see the new township coming up as a throbbing mini-city with residences, educational institutes, leisure activities, local businesses, commercial activities, and a Tehri Adventure Center. We are also planning to include the concept of a floating restaurant (to open in mid-2014) and floating log huts (end of 2014), which will be a first in the country.”
Uttarakhand is now on the path of revival after the flash floods that hit the state last year. Government and local authorities are working towards redeveloping all attractions. The revival is expected to cover the losses that the state incurred due to the calamity. Tourism being the top contributor to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), is an important sector for Uttarakhand.
Dr Panwar also announced that the state is now ready for pilgrimage tours. The Chardham Yatra will begin on May 2, 2014 with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri gates. The Kedarnath Yatra will commence on May 3, Badrinath on May 4 and Hemkund Sahib Yatra on May 24.
To facilitate pilgrims and tourists, a special control room has been set up at the tourism headquarters in Dehradun. A nodal officer will manage the centre and tourists can also seek assistance on the helpline number 1364. Queries can also be posted on the e-mail id, yatra4dham@yahoo.in. The e-mail service will be available from 7 am-9 pm daily.
As part of safety and keeping track of all pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra, the state government is making it mandatory for biometric registration. “We want to ensure safety of pilgrims by making biometric registration compulsory for all pilgrims on the Chardham Yatra. Biometric registration counters will be set up at entry points of the state and also on yatra routes,” informed Dr Panwar. The number of persons entering will be monitored in order to ensure safety and also make the yatras more ecologically sustainable.
Also, minor changes have been made on the Kedarnath route, which is now approximately 16 kms instead of the earlier 14 kms, maintaining the earlier stopovers of Gaurikund, Bhimbali and Limchauli. The pilgrims will be provided with wayside shelters, food, medicines and medical help and other emergency facilities. The state government will also provide the option of night shelter, which can accommodate around 500-1,000 persons.
Further, to financially aid the locals who were affected by the devastation wreaked by the flash floods last year, the Uttarakhand government has introduced the concept of Winter Chardham and Winter Carnival to increase tourist inflow. The tourism sector will eventually provide more employment to the locals. The pilgrims can also enjoy winter sports, views of snow-clad peaks, and local cultural programmes such as fairs and festivals.
Dr Panwar said, “The state government’s focus is on creating parking space and other tourist facilities at various spots. New ropeway projects are coming up under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at Rambara-Kedarnath, Rishikesh-Neelkanth, Dehradun-Mussoorie, and Surkanda Devi among others. All major roadways of the state have been repaired and revamped. We are looking at developing more ropeways and infrastructure, which will be beneficial in the event of a recurrence of any natural calamity. The state is open to investment in infrastructure.”
Dr Panwar also said that Uttarakhand is now open to Film Tourism in Champawat and Binsar, which are the state’s relatively popular destinations among filmmakers.
Dr Umakant Panwar, Tourism Secretary, Uttarakhand and CEO, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, said, “The Request For Proposal (RFP) for the Mega Project under PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode has been published in newspapers and is garnering interest. The Project would be completed in five to ten years and we see great potential in the destination, which is a three-hour drive from Dehradun. We are planning to include a number of activities along the rim of the Tehri lake. There will be hotels, resorts, training institutes, adventure sports like speedboat racing, sailing and paragliding. These will give scope for local employment. We see the new township coming up as a throbbing mini-city with residences, educational institutes, leisure activities, local businesses, commercial activities, and a Tehri Adventure Center. We are also planning to include the concept of a floating restaurant (to open in mid-2014) and floating log huts (end of 2014), which will be a first in the country.”
Uttarakhand is now on the path of revival after the flash floods that hit the state last year. Government and local authorities are working towards redeveloping all attractions. The revival is expected to cover the losses that the state incurred due to the calamity. Tourism being the top contributor to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), is an important sector for Uttarakhand.
Dr Panwar also announced that the state is now ready for pilgrimage tours. The Chardham Yatra will begin on May 2, 2014 with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri gates. The Kedarnath Yatra will commence on May 3, Badrinath on May 4 and Hemkund Sahib Yatra on May 24.
To facilitate pilgrims and tourists, a special control room has been set up at the tourism headquarters in Dehradun. A nodal officer will manage the centre and tourists can also seek assistance on the helpline number 1364. Queries can also be posted on the e-mail id, yatra4dham@yahoo.in. The e-mail service will be available from 7 am-9 pm daily.
As part of safety and keeping track of all pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra, the state government is making it mandatory for biometric registration. “We want to ensure safety of pilgrims by making biometric registration compulsory for all pilgrims on the Chardham Yatra. Biometric registration counters will be set up at entry points of the state and also on yatra routes,” informed Dr Panwar. The number of persons entering will be monitored in order to ensure safety and also make the yatras more ecologically sustainable.
Also, minor changes have been made on the Kedarnath route, which is now approximately 16 kms instead of the earlier 14 kms, maintaining the earlier stopovers of Gaurikund, Bhimbali and Limchauli. The pilgrims will be provided with wayside shelters, food, medicines and medical help and other emergency facilities. The state government will also provide the option of night shelter, which can accommodate around 500-1,000 persons.
Further, to financially aid the locals who were affected by the devastation wreaked by the flash floods last year, the Uttarakhand government has introduced the concept of Winter Chardham and Winter Carnival to increase tourist inflow. The tourism sector will eventually provide more employment to the locals. The pilgrims can also enjoy winter sports, views of snow-clad peaks, and local cultural programmes such as fairs and festivals.
Dr Panwar said, “The state government’s focus is on creating parking space and other tourist facilities at various spots. New ropeway projects are coming up under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at Rambara-Kedarnath, Rishikesh-Neelkanth, Dehradun-Mussoorie, and Surkanda Devi among others. All major roadways of the state have been repaired and revamped. We are looking at developing more ropeways and infrastructure, which will be beneficial in the event of a recurrence of any natural calamity. The state is open to investment in infrastructure.”
Dr Panwar also said that Uttarakhand is now open to Film Tourism in Champawat and Binsar, which are the state’s relatively popular destinations among filmmakers.
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