CM Inaugurates the Second Jal Mahotsav at Hanuwantiya

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a comprehensive master plan will also be drawn up to develop water tourism in the Hanuwantiya area, covering Omkareshwar along with Dharaji, Sailani and other places. It will be named 'Madhyadweep'. The master plan will connect four nodal points, he said. Development will link the proposed Aqua City at Hanuwantiya with the reservoir, and Hanuwantiya will become an international centre for adventure tourism.

The Chief Minister was inaugurating the second Jal Mahotsav (water festival) at Hanuwantiya. Speaking about the place, Chouhan said it was his own creation and brainchild, and he feels attached to it. The government will make every effort to put Hanuwantiya on the international map. Mentioning the houseboats, he said the idea of running houseboats in Madhya Pradesh is now becoming reality: tourists will be able to cruise on the water and stay here even at night. The calm surroundings give everyone a sense of peace.

Chouhan said people should take time out of their busy daily routine to spend a few peaceful moments here, and places like Hanuwantiya are ideal for that. He urged people not to live like machines and to make time to enjoy travel with their families. Speaking of the importance of happiness in human life, he said joy arises from within; delight, zeal and enthusiasm have a special place in life. The government wants happiness and well-being to grow in people's lives, and for this it has even set up a separate Department of Happiness (Anand Vibhag). He called on people to enjoy themselves and also bring happiness into the lives of others.

Chouhan said companies such as Mahindra Holidays are going to work with the state as partners at Hanuwantiya. The master plan will develop the whole area, even the forest land, for tourism and create jobs for local people. In the past year, he said, land prices around Hanuwantiya have risen because of its development. The aim is to raise incomes and create new sources of employment, and from this point of view tourism generates more jobs than any other sector.

Chouhan said he had seen a similar water-tourism centre at Sentosa during a visit to Singapore, and had dreamed of one ever since; that dream is now coming true through Hanuwantiya. There is more natural beauty at Hanuwantiya than at Sentosa, spread over about 950 sq km. He credited the MP Tourism team with an important role in making his dream real, and called on everyone to work together to take Madhya Pradesh to new heights in tourism.

Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Surendra Patwa said that, along with Hanuwantiya, water tourism will now be developed at Gandhi Sagar, Bansagar, Tawa and other places. In line with the Chief Minister's wishes, a separate tourism cabinet has been formed in the state, and a new investor-friendly tourism policy has been announced. Of the 300 wayside amenity centres planned in the state, 57 have already been built. More than 8 crore tourists visited the state last year, and tourist facilities are being expanded accordingly. Patwa said everyone will work together under the Chief Minister's guidance to make the state number one in development.