Taj to get a slice of eco-tourism

State govt mulls Rs 8 crore Agra circuit project to cash in on natural diversity

The Taj Mahal is once again in the centre of yet another tourism development project devised by the Uttar Pradesh government.

This time, heritage tourism has been replaced by "eco-tourism", with the state government planning an "Agra Circuit Project" around the Taj at Rs 8 crore to cash in on the natural diversity of the forests around Agra.

In a project sent to the Union government for approval, the state government has planned to utilise the forest department's 54 hectares lying unutilised in the Keetham birds' sanctuary to develop a tourist hotspot that shall be linked with the Agra-Delhi national highway.

According to K K Singh, director, social forestry, Chambal Wildlife Project, after the project was implemented, the Keetham lake will form a gateway for tourists to enter Agra willing to taste the thrill of water sports like boating, rafting, etc. in the Yamuna river, leading all the way up to the Taj Mahal, replete with colorful boats and traditional Indian music.

He said this project included the fixing of coloured lights on both sides of the Yamuna to facilitate night-time boating in the river and wherever the river's water level was too shallow, wooden bridges shall be erected to cross over those areas instead of digging the riverbed to make it deeper, with landscaping and fun parks of kids built on both the river banks at these crossings.

He said that besides a boat trip to the Taj from Keetham lake, the Agra Circuit Project shall also incorporate tours to Saman Birds' sanctuary on Mainpuri, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary of Agra and Patna Birds' sanctuary of Etah and the foreign tourists arriving in Agra shall be presented with an option to buy tours packages to all these sanctuaries in the vicinity through private tour operators.

According to Singh, the project could prove to be a major draw for the section of tourists who wanted to experience India in a different way than just visiting the historical monuments, of which, there was plenty throughout the country. He indicated that after the project began running successfully, it could be handed over to the private sector for efficient and cost-effective operations.