The seaplane project, believed to be backed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, will connect major tourist spots to Nagpur, the most important city of the region.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is planning to bring seaplanes to Vidarbha, known as one of the state’s most under-developed areas, in a bid to boost tourism.
The ambitious plan is believed to be a pet project of senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Water Resources, who also hails from the region.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has identified six potential seaplane routes connecting different tourist spots, including wildlife areas known for their tiger population, to Nagpur, and is scouting for an operator.
“We have chalked out these routes not only to promote tourism within Vidarbha, but to also improve the region’s connectivity with the rest of Maharashtra and the rest of the country through Nagpur,” an MMB official said.
“But we are not limiting seaplane operations to the list of the six routes that we have drawn up. We will be willing to consider other routes as well, if found feasible.”
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Significance of Vidarbha
Vidarbha, comprising 11 districts, is located in the eastern part of Maharashtra and borders Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
The region is one of the most under-developed parts of Maharashtra, with eight of its 11 districts having a low to medium human development index, as per the Maharashtra Human Development Report 2012. It is also infamous for farmer suicides due to agricultural distress.
The region accounts for a majority of Maharashtra’s forest cover and has at least seven sanctuaries and wildlife reserves, besides several other tourist attractions.
However, tourism in the region is said to be lagging far behind its potential, primarily due to lack of easy connectivity and poor tourism-related infrastructure.
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Proposed routes
In November 2014, a Mumbai-based company had even conducted a seaplane trial between Ambazari lake and Khindsi dam near Ramtek city in the Nagpur district.
The MMB has chalked out six potential seaplane routes, starting from the Ambazari lake in Nagpur, about eight kilometres from the city’s airport.
One route will take visitors directly to the Irai dam next to the Tadoba National Park in the Chandrapur district, while a second will connect Nagpur to the Pench National Park.
Both Pench, which is partially in Madhya Pradesh, and Tadoba are said to have a high density of tigers.
Besides, three other routes are proposed to connect the airports of Chandrapur and Amravati as well as the Paras barrage at Akola to Nagpur.
As per a 2015 study by the Maharashtra tourism department, Amravati has at least 30 tourist spots such as the Melghat tiger project, Chikhaldhara hill station and the Jain pilgrimage centre of Muktagiri, while Chandrapur district is home to noted social worker Baba Amte’s Anandwan ashram. Akola too has wildlife and bird sanctuaries and forts.
The MMB has proposed a sixth route as purely a joyride from Nagpur to Koradi in the Nagpur district, Tadoba or Pench.
60 hours a month
For the six routes shortlisted now, the MMB, which will pay a monthly viability gap funding to the operator, expects the company in charge to run seaplanes for at least 60 hours per month. The frequency of the rides and routes can be altered based on market demand and approvals from the respective authorities.
The seaplane will have a minimum capacity to seat nine people.
“We will provide the necessary infrastructure for seaplane operations, such as a floating jetty, approach walkway, ticket counters and other passenger amenities in coordination with the operator,” an MMB official said.
“The operating company will be responsible for all the maintenance, upkeep and the security. We will expect the company to procure all necessary permissions to operate the seaplane and start operations within 90 days of signing a letter of acceptance.”