UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath at a recent cabinet meeting cleared the Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy 2023. The plan that aims to transform UP into a water tourism and adventure sports destination would initially be in effect for 10 years. “This policy would cover all inland, air and water routes, dams, reservoirs, lakes, and all water bodies in UP,” said a media release, quoting Jaiveer Singh, the tourism minister.
Singh also stated that the hills in the Vindhyas and Bundelkhand regions, about 16,620 sq km in the foothills of the Himalayas, as well as the forest areas, waterfalls, dams, reservoirs, and lakes have a lot of potential for water-based tourism, adventure sports, and water sports. “And it is for the same reason why Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy 2023 is introduced in UP,” the release further stated.
UP government officials called the policy a major step towards introducing water and adventure tourism in the state. “Through the policy, the UP government has basically laid down the criteria for water tourism and adventure sports. In the policy, the state government has also covered the risk factors, safety measures, guidelines, dos and don’ts, and several other important features. Not only simple adventure sports, but in future UP will also introduce various underwater sports activities, including deep diving, free diving, underwater photography, etc, to take adventure sports to another level,” an official added.