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Govt chooses PPP to develop islands
Bhavani Island, along with other six islands scattered in its vicinity, will witness hectic tourist activity as the State government is keen to give boost to tourism sector through these islands. The development will be taken up under the PPP mode as the poor finances will not allow the government to take up the task independently.
Bhavani Island, along with other six islands scattered in its vicinity, will witness hectic tourist activity as the State government is keen to give boost to tourism sector through these islands. The development will be taken up under the PPP mode as the poor finances will not allow the government to take up the task independently.
At present, the islands have greenery and shrubs. Nobody has seriously studied them so far. However, officials are of the view that it will be a Herculean task to keep them in good condition. Making them livable for human beings involved various risks.
There are some big islands when compared with Bhavani Island. There is no idea of damage from soil erosion which eats into the islands when floods to the Krishna occur in future. Even for Bhavani Island, the officials have not been using entire surface area for construction and development activity. Only a part of the island has been taken up for development and the rest was left unused.
The Bhavani Island Tourism Corporation has been carrying out its activities in 125 acres while the total area of the island accounts for 792 acres. Resorts and other tourist attraction activities have been restricted to the limited area. “There is ample scope for tourism development plans on Bhavani Island, leave alone other islands which provide areas as big as 1,008 acres.
Islands measuring 609 acres, 514, 388 and 670 are waiting for foreign investors to launch tourism projects,” says an official. Though a Mumbai-based firm surveyed all the islands, it did not share any information with others. If the officials’ expectations are true, the consultancy will submit its report this month. Going by the observations, the government will effect some changes to its master plan, which is the key to make all these islands tourist attractions akin to those in Singapore.
The private firms of international repute are expected to invest in tourism projects coming up on these islands. The government has been liberal on rules in order to attract investment in tourism. The kiosks and projects would have foreign appeal in order to attract tourists from other countries. If the observations of an official are real, the government is leaving no stone unturned to sniff out tourism revenue from the deserted islands.
The government has big plans which can be translated into reality once the private parties enter the arena. Resorts, amusement parks, water sports, food courts, tents, cycling tracks are just a few to mention. Many things are in store for tourists who enjoy staying at islands to spend their holidays.
By Noor Shaik
