In line with some of the most famous oceanariums in the world, the Union Territory (UT) Daman, Diu, Dadara & Nagar Haveli administration is working on India’s first oceanarium at exotic tourist location and island town Diu situated on the western border of Gujarat.
The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has already consented for the Rs600 crore oceanarium project in principle. The UT administration has already earmarked nearly 35 acres of land, suitable for the National Oceanarium Project. The picturesque location of the oceanarium project is a rocky highland approximately 7 meters higher than sea level in Malala village of Diu district.
“A team comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, geologists and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) recently visited the site and were happy to see the location. In next 2-3 months feasibility report of the project will be prepared,” said Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Administrator of Daman, Diu, Dadara & Nagar Haveli.
Bhalla is aiming high for the upcoming project. He plans to develop world-class oceanarium at the erstwhile Portuguese colony on tiny island spread across hardly 40 sq km keeping some of the world famous oceanariums — like Seaworld, San Diego, USA, Ocean Park, Hong Kong, China, Marineland, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, lisbon Oceanarium and Portugal in mind.
According to Diu Collector Vinod Kavle, Diu is the perfect location for the project looking to huge tourist flow. Though population of picturesque island Diu is hardly around 50,000, it witnesses tourist flow of over four lakhs annually that include nearly 10-15 percent foreign tourists, says Kavle.
Since the project is funded by the Government of India (GOI) to create awareness on marine life, there wouldn’t be any hiccup related to Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ), he said adding that the Diu administration will son sign an MOU with the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Against the Union Territory’s annual budget of nearly Rs800 crore, it fetches income of over Rs4000 core due to heavy flow of tourists in terms of Central Excise, VAT and other indirect taxes.
Interestingly, every year GOI allocates Rs100 crores for the National Oceanarium Project since 2009. In fact the Central Government zeroed in on couple of locations in Kerala and Goa, but both the State Governments on some or other reason shown unwillingness to allot huge chunk of land that too right on the shore. Finally, The UT administration seized the opportunity and decided to approach the concerned Ministry and within a week at a time when GOI was about to drop the project.