Chandubi�s tourism potential untapped

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Chandubi’s tourism potential untapped
>From Kishore Talukdar
 CHANDUBI, Aug 25 – Even after being one of the tourist and biodiversity hotspots of the State Chandubi, some 60 km south-west from Guwahati, has failed to draw due attention of the authorities concerned. The unkempt look of the unique lake, inclusive of the deserted tourist lodge near by substantiated the callous attitude of the authorities concerned. Bordering on Meghalaya, the lake that reportedly came into being on June 12, 1897 as a result of devastating quake, has the potential of becoming a full-fledged tourist hotspot. But lack of development for the past few years has raised the spectre of a bleak future for the beautiful lake.

Giving stress on the pressing need of participation of all sections in the development process, Dilip Kr Baruah, director tourism, Government of Assam maintained: “ To make an endeavour successful people’s participations is imperative.” Here it is worthwhile to note that Assam Tourism has proposed to renovate the existing infrastructural facilities in the tourist spot under one-time additional central assistance during 2007-08.

Talking to this correspondent, Madhu Dubey, regional director, North East, India Tourism said, “Tourism sector of Assam is in great need of boost to realise the optimal benefit.” To Dubey, North-east is ahead as far as potential of A-1 tourism is concerned in the world. It needs mentioned that given the perilous state of the Chandubi lake, infrastructural development is need of the hour. The 10 km-long bumpy road from Muduki to Chandubi has been a constant reproach to tourists. And factors like non-existent of electrical facilities, drinking water, etc could be accounted for slender tourist flow.

Meanwhile, what is disheartening to note is that the tectonic beel reportedly witnessed dwindling of water area from 288.7 ha to about 712.0 ha with its reported mean depth 1.46 m including maximum FSL depth 4.2 m. Underscoring the urgent need of conservation of the wetland reportedly consisting of 39 loops, Dr Mrigendra Mohan Goswami, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University said: “Declining of water area of Chandubi has become a threat to its very existence,” and advocated peoples participation which is a must to realise a desired goal.

Here, it merits mention that Dr Goswami had presented a paper on fresh water jelly fish of Chandubi in the sixth International Conference on Coelenterate Biology held at Leeuwenhorst, the Netherlands in 1995.

Putting the huge potential of the Chandubi lake into good use authorities could enrich the tourism revenue besides ameliorating the battered economic state of host of people in the rural areas surrounding the lake.
       
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