Plea to Govt. To Promote Boat Tourism at Polavaram Project, Pattiseema Temple
Vijayawada: Tourism boat operators have requested the AP government to promote boat tourism at the Polavaram project as well as at Lord Maha Nandeswara Temple at Pattiseema by developing ferry points and creating amenities.
With the state government targeting to complete Polavaram project by October 2026 against the deadline of December 2027, boat operators have sought a ferry point too at the project site, so that tourists sailing over Godavari River could visit Papikondalu and take a look at the ongoing Polavaram dam works. They will then understand the importance of the project in supplying water for irrigation, drinking and meeting the industrial needs in several parts of the state. Visitors can also realise the need for inter-linking rivers, mainly Godavari and Krishna.
Lord Maha Nandeswara Temple at Patiseema is visited by hundreds of devotees on a regular basis. Boat operators want the state government to promote boat tourism in the area, which will enable devotees to also visit the Polavaram project by cruising on Godavari River in a boat.
Boat operators want a ferry point developed at Coonavaram too for visitors.
With regard to resumption of environmental maintenance charges (EMC) ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000 depending on the passenger capacity of the boat, operators have appealed to the state government that it reduce the EMC. This way, the operators will not have to increase their fare of Rs 1,000 per head from Gandi Pochamma ferry point to Papikondalu.
Further, they want a single window system for issuing licenses to tourism boats, so that they need not visit several offices to get or renew licenses every year.
Sri Gandi Pochamma Godavari Boat Owners Welfare Association president G.V.V. Murali Krishna said, “The state government intends to promote tourism in a big way. As part of this, we are requesting the government to promote boat tourism too by providing amenities at various ghats.”
In this regard, boat operators have submitted a representation to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu through Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar and Polavaram MLA Chirri Balaraju when the CM recently visited the Polavaram project.
In addition, boat operators have raised concern over AP Tourism Development Corporation imposing Rs 100 as user charges per head per trip on boats carrying tourists to Papikondalu from Gandhi Pochamma ferry point. They want user charges to be reduced, complaining that there are no proper amenities at the ghats, though user charges are being collected on the pretext of developing amenities.
