CM inaugurates Tehri Lake Festival
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Tehri, 6 Mar: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today inaugurated the ‘Himalayan 0.2 – The Tehri Lake Festival’ here today. On this occasion, the CM expressed confidence that the picturesque Tehri Lake would emerge as a major centre for adventure sports and tourism not only in the country but across the world in the coming years. At the same time, he also announced that a ropeway connecting Koti Colony and New Tehri would be constructed soon.
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the festival, Dhami welcomed the players and other guests who had arrived from across the country and abroad to participate in the lake festival. He said that Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has always been a remarkable confluence of spirituality and folk culture. The rivers, mountains, lakes and traditions have continued to attract people from across the world. Carrying forward that tradition, the festival being organised on the banks of Tehri Lake is an important initiative to bring tourism, sports and local culture together on a single platform.
He said that, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Tehri Lake is not only an extraordinary example of natural beauty but is also rapidly emerging as a major venue for adventure sports events. Various national and international water sports competitions organised here are not only providing athletes with opportunities to showcase their talent but are also giving Uttarakhand a new identity on the global sports map.
The CM asserted the government’s goal is to develop Tehri area as an important hub of water sports and adventure sports. For this purpose, activities such as kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and other adventure sports are being continuously promoted in Tehri Lake. Modern training facilities are also being developed so that young athletes from the state can bring laurels to Uttarakhand in national and international competitions. He said that the growing ecosystem of sports and tourism around Tehri Lake is creating new opportunities for self-employment and economic empowerment for local residents.
Dhami said the effort is to ensure that Tehri Lake does not remain merely a tourist destination but also emerges as a global centre representing the confluence of sports, culture and nature. He said the government would continue its efforts in this direction.
The CM claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a well-known emotional connection with Uttarakhand and has personally visited the state to inspire and encourage people. He also highlighted the state government’s efforts to promote tourism and adventure sports. In this context, he also referred to some of the major adventure sports events organised in the state, including the first high-altitude marathon at Adi Kailash, the MTB Challenge in Mana and the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy.
Dhami emphasised that the government wants the youth not only to wait for the opportunities but also to create new opportunities through their own capability and hard work. He noted that more than 400 youth in Tehri are currently undergoing training in paragliding, which is an encouraging development. He expressed confidence that these young people would successfully establish Uttarakhand on the global paragliding map in the future.
In his address, the CM also underlined an overview of development works being undertaken in the Tehri region. He informed that projects worth more than Rs 1,300 crores are currently in progress for the overall development of the area. These include development of Tehri Lake, construction of the Ring Road and development of Timad village as a tourism village. He added that, in addition, Sunargaon Gram Panchayat in Bhilangna development block is also being developed as a model village. A new Anganwadi building is also being constructed in a distinctive hill architectural style. He also mentioned the establishment of 10 compactor centres and 4,267 waste collection centres in all blocks of the district for plastic waste management.
Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal stated that Tehri Lake is a centre of Uttarakhand’s natural beauty and immense potential for adventure tourism. This festival will promote tourism in the state and provide a major platform for the youth to showcase their talents. He stated that the Tehri Lake Festival will feature various cultural, adventure, and creative competitions, allowing participants to showcase their art, skills, and creativity. This event is an important step towards establishing Tehri as a major tourism and adventure destination.
Tehri MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, MLAs Kishore Upadhyay, Vikram Singh Negi, Vinod Kandari and Shakti Lal Shah, Chairman of Backward Classes Commission Sanjay Negi, District Panchayat President Ishita Sajwan, District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal, New Tehri Municipal Council Chairman Mohan Singh Rawat, Chamba Municipal Chairman Sobni Dhanola and BJP district president Uday Singh Rawat were among those present on the occasion. Earlier, after being welcomed on arrival at the venue, the CM also sought blessings from the Dev Dolis.
In addition, the CM virtually laid the foundation stone of the Koti–Dobra tourism road by pressing a remote button on this occasion. The road is being financed at the level of the Asian Development Bank and has a total cost of Rs 318 crore. The length of the road will be approximately 15 kilometres.
It may be reminded here that various activities will be organised under the Tehri Lake Festival till 9 March. Along with adventure sports and tourism-related events, several programmes showcasing local folk culture have also been scheduled.
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