Tourism Boat Services On Godavari - Papikondalu Route Stopped Due To Rains
Amid heavy rainfall in the region, a rise in the water level was anticipated: Officials
VIJAYAWADA: The water resources department stopped the operation of tourism boats on the Godavari river to the popular tourist destination Papikondalu from both Gandipochamma temple and Pochavaram from Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions.
Officials said that amid heavy rainfall in the region, a rise in the water level was anticipated.
Nearly 15 boats including the one from the state tourism development corporation operated daily from the Gandi Pochamma temple mainly for the benefit of tourists. These were apart from the around 22 boat services from Pochavaram to Papikondalu for the benefit of tourists mainly from Telangana.
Normally, the operation of these boats begins during October marking the Dasara festival vacation and continues up to the start of the flood season in the Godavari river up to July.
As for the operation of tourism boats from Gandi Pochamma temple to Papikondalu this season, nearly 10,000 tourists cruised on tourism boats from the Gandi Pochamma temple to Papikondalu and towards Pochavaram for their onward journey to the parts of Telangana.
However, the private tourism boat owners say that the number of days where they were permitted to operate the boats are not sufficient for them to make any gains. This season, they could run the services for only 45 days.
They urged the AP government to increase the number of days to at least 100 in a season so that it would be remunerative for them.
The boat owners allege that there has been no ghats development along the course of the Godavri river and boat-riders, mainly tourists, lacked basic amenities. As a result, “the tourists are facing hardships” during their visit to Papikondalu.
Boat operator GVVSN Murali said, “We used to operate 70-80 boats to Papikondalu in a season before 2018. Since then, the number is dwindled to around 30. We urge the government to develop ghats and provide basic amenities to tourists. There is also a need for widespread publicity for tourism to Papikondalu so that more tourists would visit the area. This, in turn, would help the government to earn good revenue too.”
Tourists also complain about lack of proper amenities all along the course of the river during their cruises to Papikondalu. They seek intervention of the government to encourage private agencies to set up standard accommodation for stay.
Notably, Union tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat along with deputy CM Pawan Kalyan recently laid the foundation for the Akhanda Godavari project in Rajamahendravaram to develop Pushkar ghat and the abandoned Havelock railway bridge. These are to be done at a cost of `95 crore. But, there was no mention about promotion of boat ride on the Godavari river to Papikondalu and about the ghats and the amenities for the tourists there.