Dehradun: Around half a dozen places of tourist interest in the city and many others across Uttarakhand will be developed to attract visitors and give the much needed boost to tourism sector which took a beating in the recent natural calamity in the state.
Attractions in Dehradun like Assan Barrage, Tiger Falls, Lakhmandal Temple, Hanol Temple, Vriksha Samadhi and Adventure Sports Centre will be developed to attract tourists, officials said, citing decisions taken at a meeting of the Second State Level Empowered Committee of Infrastructure Development and Investment Programme for Tourism yesterday.
The other destinations to be developed are tourists home in Bhimtal, a Trekking Trail from Naikuchiyatal, Pithoragarh to Chandak, Mastamanu Temple, Pithoragarh fort and Adventure Sports Centre.
A tourism site will be established at Corbett’s northern edge in Kotdwar, an adventure sports destination in Tehri Lake and Ganga Canal in Haridwar, while beautification of Jagjitpur would be taken up.
These decisions were taken at a meeting presided by Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar.
Separate meetings will be held with officers of forest department for beautification and development of tourist destinations falling in the vicinity of the forest area.
It was stated during the meeting that Rs 76 crore had been received from the Asian Development Bank and by March 2014, Rs 15 crore would be used for starting development work at several tourist destinations.
The time allotted for completion of work is upto 2017, but the target is being set to complete it by 2016.
Secretary, Tourism, Umakant Panwar said that work on beautification and constructing a dormitory, four huts, dining deck and landscaping will be taken up at the Assan Barrage.
Community services will be developed in Lakhmandal Temple premises and Tiger Falls.
Facilities like parking, toilets, drinking water and boarding facilities will be set up in Hanol temple.
A guest house to accommodate up to 200 guests will also be developed. The 200 year old pine tree between Mori and Hanol will also be developed as a memorial to attract tourists.
A Corbett Park complex will be made in Kotdwar where a convention centre, entertainment centre, theatre, tennis court, musical fountain, climbing walls and cottages will be set up.
An adventure sports centre will be set up at Koti Colony near Tehri Lake. It will host facilities like cruise boat, canoeing, para sailing, jet skiing, jet boat and other modern games. This will also boost revenue.The historical building set up in 1857 will be developed as a heritage site.
