Gobind Sagar Lake in Himachal's Bilaspur to have shikaras, cruiser boats

Bilaspur (HP), Oct 1(PTI) Himachal Pradesh government will introduce Shikaras in Gobind Sagar Lake here in a bid to boost tourism in the state, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The first cruiser boat will also be introduced in the Gobind Sagar Lake as part of an initiative to promote tourism arrived on Friday last week.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu will inaugurate water sports activities here in the third week of October. Cruise, jet skies, motor boats and rescue boats have already arrived in Bilaspur and preparations regarding the cruise are being completed, officials said on Tuesday.

The technical team of the tourism department also inspected the equipment in Mandi Bharari on Saturday. Tourists would be able to enjoy Shikara in Gobind Sagar Lake on the lines of Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Ajay Handa, director of Gandharvi Company, which operates water sports activities, said that Shikara will be launched in the lake soon. The cost of this Shikara is about Rs 4 lakh.

He said that the starting ticket for Shikara will be Rs 200 and the starting ticket for cruise will be Rs 900. After this, the ticket price will increase on the basis of facilities. He said that after the inauguration by the chief minister, all the activities would begin in the lake.

The state government is promoting water sports activities. This initiative aims to boost tourism and leverage the water bodies to position Himachal Pradesh as a premier destination for water-based recreational activities, attracting both domestic and international tourists, Sukhu had said earlier.

Additionally, the state government is also contemplating introducing heli taxi services from Bilaspur to Manali or Kullu to cater the high-end tourists looking for unique travel experiences, he added. PTI COR BPL HIG