A boat carrying around 15 media persons overturned in the Wainganga River here at Bhandara in eastern Maharashtra after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated a mega-water tourism project. However, no one was injured.The local police that the boat, which was filled to capacity, turned turtle, when some of the media persons moved to the other side of the vessel tilting its balance, resulting in several of the journalists falling into the water.

Before long, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel that had been stationed at a nearby placed rushed to the scene  rescued those in water and put them back in the boat which had by then regained its balance.  Earlier, Shinde had launched the first phase of a Rs 102 crore tourism water tourism project at the Wainganga River in the presence of Bhandara distrfic6t Collector Yogesh Kumbhekar, local MLA Narendra Bhondekar,  Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation’s Sarang Kulkarni and Dinesh Kamble.Shinde was himself behind the steering wheel of a boat minutes the mishap took place, when he launched the tourism project im Bhadara district,  “I enjoyed boat riding experience….. This water sports project will put Bhandara on the country’s tourism map, spur the development of the region and ensure a lot of new employment opportunities to the locals,” Shinde said.

“Maharashtra has a vast coastline of 720 kms and there is huge potential for similar water sports related projects there. There is huge potential for similar water sports related projects there.

During last week, the chief minister had aaccorded approval to the water tourism project with Rs 102 crore, Of the amount, 43 crore would be shared by the Water Resources Department and the rest by the MTDC. The state government has allotted 450 acres of land near the river banks to set up the entire water tourism project which will offer various options to the tourists and water sports enthusiasts.