WB Government to spend Rs 123 crore for coastal circuit development

KOLKATA: The West Bengal State Tourism department has come up with a Rs 123-crore coastal tourism circuit development plan. This plan includes development of infrastructure along the coastal borders of Old Digha to Fraserganj including places like New Digha, Udaypur, Shankarpur, Tajpur, Mandarmani, Bakkali and Henry Islands.

The development plan for the coastal area would include putting up tourist amenity centres, parking facilities and eco trails alongside the coastal belt.

While the discussions on plans for the belt are on at various levels of the government, work has started at some places. For instance, the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority has started developmental work within their coastal periphery.

The state’s plan also includes services like as parking with gazebo, beach side seating arrangements lifeguard towers, toilet blocks and cloak rooms in Tajpur and Mandarmani and to throw in more luxury into the seas of Bengal, houseboats at the creeks between Tajpur and Mandarmani is also being considered.

Parking facilities for those who are on road trips around the coast are being specially taken care of because most of these destinations attract a lot of local weekends. Water sports too are one of the key highlights of the proposed development.

A nature interpretation centre has been planned at Henry Islands alongside a nature trail at Jambudwip. Most of the places on the development list can also be expected to have wi-fi connectivity as per the proposed coastal tourism circuit plan that will be discussed with the union tourism ministry.