PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief secretary Anand Bardhan has directed the State administration to prepare a comprehensive master plan to develop Tehri Lake as a global tourist destination under the ‘One State, One Global Destination’ plan.
Chairing a meeting with the officers of Tourism Department at the State secretariat on Thursday, Bardhan said the entire lake area should be developed with long-term and systematic planning.
He said that a comprehensive master and zonal plan should be prepared covering about 8,000 hectares around Tehri Lake, including both government and private land. A master plan should be prepared to check haphazard development and zones should be demarcated for various areas. All stakeholders should be consulted while preparing the plan, keeping in view geographical conditions, local needs, environmental sensitivity and tourism potential. He said that technical cooperation can be taken from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and Bhopal.
CS said that to make Tehri Lake a global destination, major attraction centres should be developed by incorporating various tourism activities in the entire lake area. For this, a phase-wise plan should be prepared so that projects can be developed on a priority basis, he said.
He directed a detailed plan of tourism activities in Tehri Lake. Along with water sports, activities like adventure, trekking, nature, culture and village tourism should be developed in an integrated manner.
Bardhan further said that a special action plan should be prepared to ensure adequate activities for tourists even during low water levels in April, May and June. To ensure year-round tourism, a calendar of activities should be prepared as per weather and water level. He directed that new trekking routes and trails and that surrounding villages with tourism. Village and cultural visits can be developed to give tourists an opportunity to experience local culture, traditions, cuisine and rural life and provide employment and self-employment to locals.
He said that a detailed presentation on the overall action plan and proposed activities should be prepared to be presented before the Prime Minister.
