Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday inaugurated two tourism projects— a hot air balloon ride in Panchkula’s Pinjore and water sports activities in Yamunanagar’s Hathni Kund barrage. After taking the hot air balloon ride, Khattar said, the trip of the hot air balloon was conducted during sunrise based on the wind conditions. Ministers, including Tourism Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar, and Speaker Gian Chand Gupta also took the ride.
Khattar said, “In Haryana, there are a lot of possibilities for tourism. In north Haryana, discussions on hot air balloons were going on for a long time with a company. However, it was not that viable initially. After having talks with the company, the hot air balloon has finally been initiated today. This is a service for high-end tourists”.
He said Haryana has immense tourism potential, and the state government is continuously expanding tourism activities. The present state government would provide a grant of Rs. 72 lakh to the company for two years as VGF (Viability Gap Funding) after assessing the practicality of this hot air balloon safari, and the company has fixed Rs. 13,000 per person per ride for the tourists. He further said that Haryana is advancing towards promoting water sports and adventure sports activities. The government has also initiated paragliding, water sports activities, jet skiing, parasailing, trekking, and other adventure sports in the Tikkar Taal area in Morni Hills. Additionally, tracks, mountain biking trails, and various other activities have been introduced. Moreover, the Forest Department has been involved in boosting eco-tourism in Morni Hills, said the Chief Minister.
After inaugurating the water and adventure sports activities at Hathni Kund Barrage, Khattar said that the tourism sector in Haryana is accelerating at a fast pace. Tourism is an industry that attracts people from all over the world. Wherever tourism has flourished, there has been an evident development of the region. It also enhances employment opportunities for the locals, he added.
He mentioned that a park is being developed at Hathni Kund Barrage, which will be named after India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also mentioned the plan to create a wildlife safari project covering approximately 10 thousand acres in the Gurugram and Nuh districts. The project is expected to commence soon.
Khattar emphasized that the tourism sector holds great potential and adventure sports are becoming increasingly popular among today's youth. In terms of tourism, there are numerous possibilities down the hill from Kalesar to Kalka, such as through foot trekking, cycle trekking and motorcycle etc., one can visit various places like Adi Badri, Lohgarh, Trilokpur Devi Temple and other such recreational places.
He highlighted the significance of the Hathini Kund project. Initially, Taje Wala Head was relatively smaller. Subsequently, Hathini Kund Barrage was constructed. However, due to the scarcity of water, a 50-meter high dam will be built at Kalesar. This dam will directly benefit people from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. This project serves as a convergence point for four states. It opens up opportunities for tourism and can potentially address the water needs of all four states. Additionally, it can also generate electricity. Rajasthan and Delhi are also expected to benefit from this project, added the CM.