'Tehri Lake Festival' Begins; CM Announces Construction of Koti Colony–New Tehri Ropeway
Grand Opening of the 'Tehri Lake Festival', Ongoing Until 9 March
CM Performs Virtual Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the Koti–Dobra Tourism Route
The 'Himalayan 0.2: The Tehri Lake Festival' has had a grand commencement amidst clear messages of tourism and adventure sports alongside environment and culture. Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, while inaugurating it on Friday, expressed confidence that the beautiful Tehri Lake will emerge as a prominent centre for adventure sports and tourism not only in the country but across the entire world. On this occasion, he announced that the Koti Colony–New Tehri ropeway would be constructed.
In his address, Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed the athletes from India and abroad, as well as other guests. He said, “The sacred land of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has been a wonderful confluence of spirituality and folk culture. Our rivers, our mountains, our lakes, and our traditions have continued to attract the whole world. Today, carrying that tradition forward, this festival organised on the shores of Tehri Lake is a significant effort to bring tourism, sports, and local culture together on a single platform.”
He remarked that Tehri Lake, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, is rapidly emerging as a venue for adventure sports, besides being a stunning example of natural beauty. Various national and international water sports competitions being organised here are not only providing athletes with an opportunity to showcase their talent but are also giving Uttarakhand a new identity on the global sports map.
Clarifying his government's intention regarding Tehri, the Chief Minister said, “Our goal is to develop Tehri as an important hub for water sports and adventure sports. For this purpose, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, parasailing, scuba diving, and other adventure activities are being continuously promoted in Tehri Lake. Modern training facilities are being developed here so that our young athletes can bring glory to Uttarakhand in national and international competitions.” He said that this sports and tourism ecosystem developing around Tehri Lake is creating new opportunities for self-employment and economic empowerment for the local people.
The Chief Minister stated that his effort is for Tehri Lake to not just remain a tourist destination but also to become a global centre for the confluence of sports, culture, and nature. He added that the government's efforts towards this will continue.
The Chief Minister mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's emotional attachment to Uttarakhand is well known, and he has personally come here to inspire and encourage. The Chief Minister made a special mention of the state government's efforts to encourage tourism and adventure sports. In this context, he discussed large-scale events such as the state's first high-altitude marathon in Adi Kailash, the MTB Challenge in Mana, and the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy.
He stated that his government's endeavour is that the youth should not merely wait for opportunities but should also create new opportunities through their capability and hard work. He said it is heartening to know that more than 400 young people are currently receiving paragliding training in Tehri. He expressed full confidence that these youths will certainly succeed in establishing Uttarakhand on the global paragliding map in the future.
In his address, he presented a picture of the development works in the Tehri region. He informed that projects worth more than 1,300 crore rupees are underway for the overall development of the Tehri area. This includes major works such as the development of Tehri Lake, the construction of a Ring Road, and developing Timar village as a tourism village. Additionally, Sunargaon Gram Panchayat of the Bhilangna development block is being developed as a model village. A new Anganwadi building in a distinctive hilly style is also being constructed. In his address, he also mentioned the establishment of 10 compactor centres and 4,267 waste collection centres for plastic waste management in all blocks of the district.
Present on this occasion were Cabinet Minister Shri Subodh Uniyal, Regional MP Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, MLAs Shri Kishore Upadhyay, Shri Vikram Singh Negi, Shri Vinod Kandari, Shri Shaktilal Shah, Chairman of the Backward Classes Commission Shri Sanjay Negi, District Panchayat President Ishita Sajwan, District Magistrate Smt. Nitika Khandelwal, Chairman of the Municipal Council, New Tehri, Mohan Singh Rawat, Chairman of Chamba, Sobni Dhanola, and BJP District President Uday Singh Rawat. Earlier, the Chief Minister received a grand welcome upon his arrival. The CM also took blessings from the Devdoliyan (deity palanquins).
Foundation Stone Laying of the Koti–Dobra Tourism Route
During the programme, the Chief Minister performed the virtual foundation stone laying of the Koti–Dobra tourism route by pressing a remote. This route is funded at the level of the Asian Development Bank, with a total cost of 318 crore rupees. The length of this route is approximately 15 kilometres.
Various Activities to Be Held Until 9 March
Various activities will be organised at the Tehri Lake Festival until 9 March. Apart from adventure sports and tourism activities, various programmes related to folk culture have been scheduled.
