Houseboats, water sports in offing

BHUBANESWAR: The long pending projects of the Tourism Department may finally see the light of the day, albeit with private partnership. On the second day of the ongoing Entrepreneurs Week here on Tuesday, the Tourism Department sought participation from private players for completion of several vital tourism projects. One of them is the mega aquarium at Puri. Although it was planned in 2008, little work has been initiated since then.Tourism Secretary Ashok Tripathy said the proposed aquarium would be established in an area of 2.96 acres near the Urban Haat. The aquarium would house both fresh water and marine fishes and the project would be taken up in the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. Tenders would be floated soon, the Secretary added.He said the Department also plans to introduce houseboat system in 16 water bodies of the State in the PPP mode. Aimed at the high-end tourists, these houseboats would be of three-star category. Tenders for the facility would be floated “very soon”.The houseboat service has been designed on the lines of the one in Kerala. The Department had earlier introduced the facility in Chilika lagoon but it has gone defunct.Likewise, the Department is mulling over water sports at 13 locations across the State.The authorities said the projects would not only lend the State the new adventure destination tag but also help attract foreign tourists. On the delayed Samukha project, the Secretary hinted at restructuring of the bidding process to allow participation of local investors. Earlier, only major hospitality investors of the country had participated in the bidding.On the occasion, Forest and Environment Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the eco-tourism policy would be finalised and put in public domain soon. “We are trying to develop eco-tourism in the State without disturbing the flora and fauna,” he said.