Home

Contact Us

March, 2005
Back to index

• Madurai heading for a major water shortage
• Himachal Pradesh gears up for adventurous water sports

Colourful end to the Rajasthan festival 

     Jaipur: A colourful cultural extravaganza depicting rich culture and varied heritage of Rajasthan marked the grand finale of the ten-day celebration of the 56th Rajasthan day foundation. Artists from all the 32 districts of Rajasthan participated in the colourful tableau that passed through the main streets of the city. Jaipur reverberated with the sound of music as folk artists gave an enthralling performance, much to the amusement of the cheering crowd. A sheer delight for the tourists, the festival was equally enthralling for the participating artists. "I don't have words to describe how happy I am to be a part of the festival. I have never seen such a program and have never played Holi this way ever. It's wonderful," said Ashok Tak, a folk dancer. "It is fascinating to see the different folklore of Rajasthan and the joy of people in celebrating Rajasthan day is rather fascinating for us," said Michael, a tourist. The winners of a host of sports competitions, cultural events and food festivals that were the highlight the ten-day festival, were also felicitated on the concluding day. Caparisoned elephants, folk dance performances and even a musical band of school children left scores of visitors captivated. "I loved the animals the way they were dressed. And also some of the performances I have seen were fantastic," said Laura, a foreign tourist. Grand cultural shows and live concerts were also part of the grand finale that also had a sound and light show illuminating the Albert Hall. Colourful fireworks lit up the night sky marking a perfect conclusion to the festive spirit. Besides being a celebration of Rajasthan's rich culture and heritage, the festival aimed at increasing tourist inflow to the region. With its auburn forts set against a landscape marked by sand dunes, Rajasthan is one of the most favoured tourist destinations in the world. At least 720,000 tourists visited Rajasthan during 2004, showing an increase of 28 percent over the previous year.
-Mar 31, 2005

Madurai heading for a major water shortage (Go to Top)

     Madurai (Tamil Nadu): With water levels in Tamil Nadu's Vaigai dam receding day by day, the city of Madurai is heading for a severe drinking water problem. The water level in the dam has fallen to 26 feet, and if water department officials here are to be believed, there is just enough water for the city till the middle of April. Efforts are, however, on to avert the impending crisis by releasing water from the Periyar Dam. Close to 40 percent of this water is illegally pumped to irrigate hundreds of private commercial plantations, all allegedly with the collusion of officials. PWD authorities deny this charge. They say they will take stringent action against those who indulge in diverting water released for drinking purpose. "It's wrong. We only try to provide uninterrupted water supply. It's being done illegally. We are ready to seek the help of police to arrest them," the NDTV channel quoted K Pandikaruppanan, Executive Engineer, Periyar Vaigai basin, as saying.
-Mar 28, 2005

Himachal Pradesh gears up for adventurous water sports  (Go to Top)

     Shimla: The immense potential associated with adventure sports, especially water rafting, lies untapped in this state lying in the arms of the great Himalayas. And now the state government has decided that it would not only make efforts to generate revenue but also create ample employment opportunities for the state people. Himachal Pradesh, criss-crossed by many big and small rivers, is known across the world for its water potential. The rivers fed by glaciers are perennial, which could well be utilised for white river rafting throughout the year. The state has some obvious advantages over other hill stations which makes it a potential destination for adventure tourism, especially water sports. "River rafting is present in India as a major commercial sport since 15-20 years. Himachal Pradesh has many advantages, which it enjoys over other states. Here, we have 5 main rivers in which rafting is possible throughout the year. Even during monsoons, when we cannot enjoy rafting in the lower regions of Himachal Pradesh, Chandrabhanga and Spiti rivers provide an alternative. So rafting is possible throughout the year," said Shaukat Sikand, Secretary of Indian Rafting Foundation, in Pandua, about 80kms from Shimla. Ironically, the state government has failed to exploit the potential of adventure tourism so far.

    The administration has not been able to exploit the river resources in terms of water sports except river Beas. Even in river Beas, rafting is possible only for two months But if the prospects of water sports, which lie almost latent at present, are explored to the maximum, not only the revenue would be generated, but ample employment opportunities would also be created. "Government has not paid attention to rafting. If it is combined with tourism, and if rafting throughout the year is allowed, the young men can get jobs. We want a rafting institute to be opened here where locals would learn the techniques of rafting. Tourists love rafting," said Dalbir, a local. However, the state government claims that the efforts to tap the potential in this field are on and the tourism department has been directed to create a fund for the same. "Water rafting is a major part of adventure tourism with great prospects. I have directed my department to work towards the full exploration of these prospects. New officers have taken over and the work is being done. We are laying emphasis on the involvement of rural folks, as they are very much experienced in this field. It would definitely result in their development as well. I have asked the department to create a fund," said G S Bali, Tourism Minister, Himachal Pradesh.

     A take away from the regular water sports, the adventure sport of water rafting provides an instant adrenalin rush, albeit with risks involved. The magic behind River Rafting also referred, as Whitewater River Rafting is the extreme and never-ending thrills in the untamed rivers. The rivers in the upper Himalayas are among the best in the world for river rafting sports, with many staircase rapids that challenge the body and spirit of the river runner. The river cuts against the rocky banks, crash into rocks, crevices and breaking into white water rapids, foaming, swirling, and falling in a thunderous din. India and Nepal has a wide range of river rafting regions, which suits both amateurs and professionals. The most popular rafting sites include Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir, the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttaranchal, the Beas River of Himachal Pradesh and Teesta River in Sikkim. Himachal Pradesh's snow-fed rivers offer tremendous opportunities for the challenging sport of rafting. The rivers Chandrabhaga (Chenab) in Lahaul, the Satluj near Shimla, the Ravi near Chamba and the Beas near Kullu offer immense whitewater rafting possibilities. There are tremendous river running expedition oppurtunities between Shamshi and Aut on the Beas. The 20-km stretch has exciting and extreme whitewater rapids.
-Mar 24, 2005

                        Back to index                            Go to Top