HAMIRPUR (HP): Time has come when each government has realized the importance of water sports of larger economic policy. As of now, lakes are largely restricted to sight seeing and pleasure trips while it demands from us more than of that on the other hand the low sensibility of arm-chair administration produces stagnation. Perhaps it is against the background of highly comprehensive and highly fragmented character of water sports that the government of Himachal Pradesh attempted to go ahead with a number of innovative plans.
Recenlty, the trials for adventure water sports activities in the Gobind Sagar lake near Androli village in district Una of Himachal pradesh began on Thursday. Motorboats, kayaks, wate scooters and e-hydrofoil surf boards were put in service in the lake and tested by eperts from the Water Sports Centre at the Pong Dam. The six-day trials will end on September 21 and more water sports equipments will be tested and displayed.
Kutlehar MLA is also minister for rural development Virender Kanwar, who was present to witness the water sports trials, said water sports and paragliding would be launched soon and basic infrastructure to sustain week-end tourism be created initially.
Kanwar said Kutlehar did not have any big industries and the hills provided fewer opportunities for agriculture, adding that tourism would boost economy of the locals
The initiative is being promoted by the Kutlehar Tourism Development Society which was constituted under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner, Una. The Bhakra Beas Management Board has issued the no-objection certificate and also notified water sports routes in the reservoir. Besides, the State Tourism and Civil Aviation Department had permitted and notified water and paragliding sports activities in the region.
In the monthe of August last, instructors from the Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, had conducted paragliding sorties from the Solasingi mountain range of Kutlehar and notified two launch sites at Piplu and Gharvasada villages, besides two landing spots in the valley.
The government of Himachal Pradesh is taking into account both forward and backward linkages and also as a mark of Government-led-Private Sector-driven and Community Welfare-oriented policy, concrete attempt has been made to step up the momentum of water sports which in turn popularize tourism in the state. In 2016, the state government has shown its willingness to popularize water sports activities. The government had appointed a nodal officer to oversee the development in the matter directly.
To attract tourists across the globe the department is organizing promotional festivals such as State Level Shirui Lily Festival, Manipur Sangai Festival, Women Polo Tournament and Barak Spring Festival. On an average, the Sangai Festival is attended by 40, 000 people per day including foreigners from 20 countries.
The State Government has initiated a proposal for regular bus service from Imphal to Mandalay. Rail and Air link between Manipur and Myanmar is also under active consideration. In short, Manipur is going to be opened up for larger global connectivity with a view to sensitizing the land locked State in terms of greater competitiveness, innovation and investment. Isolation is a thing of the past. When the whole world has become a global village, isolation may create the painful feeling of being left out. What we should do is to enrich and strengthen the internal competitive potential.
For the delicate task of maintenance we need service-oriented and performance-driven manpower who looks after the tourist homes with or without the arrival of tourists. The service of private player may now be better option in view of three distinctive articles of courtesy care, and convenience.
Only strengthening the hard wares of tourism is not enough. The role of soft ware is equally important. As unique feature of service sector we do not go out for selling; on the contrary the buyers, come, see, buy and enjoy.