Maharashtra tourism plans casinos, discotheques in Matheran
(To beat the summer heat,…)
MUMBAI:
Matheran, that quaint old hill station close to Mumbai, may be headed
for a sea-change. Struggling to make a fair case for any new hill
station project after the Lavasa experience, the Maharashtra government
now has grand plans to revive Matheran as an entertainment-cum-leisure
hub.
If all goes according to plan, the tony hill station nestled in the Western Ghats could well boast of a night life rivalling Mumbai's, including casinos, discotheques, music halls and swanky parking arenas. Currently, the only casinos in India are located offshore in Goa. The only hitch: Matheran is a declared eco-sensitive zone, restricting development and movement of vehicles within the region. State government sources say they may have to get an NOC from the Union ministry of environment and forest.
If all goes according to plan, the tony hill station nestled in the Western Ghats could well boast of a night life rivalling Mumbai's, including casinos, discotheques, music halls and swanky parking arenas. Currently, the only casinos in India are located offshore in Goa. The only hitch: Matheran is a declared eco-sensitive zone, restricting development and movement of vehicles within the region. State government sources say they may have to get an NOC from the Union ministry of environment and forest.
The decision to repackage the hill station—including wide roads and
regular water supply—was taken during a meeting with chief secretary
JK Banthia on November 6.
Thereafter, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) was asked to prepare a detailed project plan on the lines discussed. The idea is to give a boost to tourism as well as the existing facilities that are being provided at the hill station. Matheran receives scant tourist flow in the monsoon months of June to August as even train services do not operate then.
The government will look to ensure adequate infrastructure to ensure year-long access to the spot. Also, the plan will ensure 24x7 water supply by tapping alternative means. Water is currently being drawn from the Ulhas river and takes up a lot of time and finance. There are other two sources—Charlotte lake and Simpson tank—which supply water for a brief period in the day.
The chairman of the high-level monitoring committee (HLMC) of Matheran (an area declared eco-sensitive in 2003), V Ranganathan, said the government must prepare plans which are in tune with the ecology of the area and keeping the expected noise and pollution levels in mind. "Whatever is the idea of development of Matheran, the government must keep all environmental aspects in mind and only then present a proposal to us. They must also remember that most of the structures in the hill station have heritage status and so permission of the Matheran Heritage Committee will be required before any drastic alterations," he told TOI.
Matheran was constructed as a hill station by the British in 1850 because of its closeness to Mumbai. It was thereafter given on lease in 1897. The lease expired in 1997. The existing population of Matheran is estimated at 4,000, and during peak season nearly 12,000 tourists visit it daily.
Keep ecology in mind, state warned
After the November 6 meeting on repackaging Matheran, MTDC was asked to prepare a detailed project plan on the lines discussed.
The idea is to give a boost to tourism as well as the existing facilities at the hill station. Matheran receives scant tourist flow in the monsoon months of June to August as even toy trains do not operate then. The state will look to ensure adequate infrastructure to ensure year-long access to the spot. Also, the plan will ensure 24x7 water supply by tapping alternative means. Water is currently being drawn from the Ulhas river and takes up a lot of time and finance. There are two other sources—Charlotte Lake and Simpson tank—which supply water for a brief period in the day.
The chairman of the high-level monitoring committee of Matheran (an area declared eco-sensitive in 2003), V Ranganathan, said the government must prepare plans in tune with the ecology of the area and keeping the expected noise and pollution levels in mind. "Whatever is the idea of development of Matheran, the government must keep all environmental aspects in mind and only then present a proposal to us.
Thereafter, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) was asked to prepare a detailed project plan on the lines discussed. The idea is to give a boost to tourism as well as the existing facilities that are being provided at the hill station. Matheran receives scant tourist flow in the monsoon months of June to August as even train services do not operate then.
The government will look to ensure adequate infrastructure to ensure year-long access to the spot. Also, the plan will ensure 24x7 water supply by tapping alternative means. Water is currently being drawn from the Ulhas river and takes up a lot of time and finance. There are other two sources—Charlotte lake and Simpson tank—which supply water for a brief period in the day.
The chairman of the high-level monitoring committee (HLMC) of Matheran (an area declared eco-sensitive in 2003), V Ranganathan, said the government must prepare plans which are in tune with the ecology of the area and keeping the expected noise and pollution levels in mind. "Whatever is the idea of development of Matheran, the government must keep all environmental aspects in mind and only then present a proposal to us. They must also remember that most of the structures in the hill station have heritage status and so permission of the Matheran Heritage Committee will be required before any drastic alterations," he told TOI.
Matheran was constructed as a hill station by the British in 1850 because of its closeness to Mumbai. It was thereafter given on lease in 1897. The lease expired in 1997. The existing population of Matheran is estimated at 4,000, and during peak season nearly 12,000 tourists visit it daily.
Keep ecology in mind, state warned
After the November 6 meeting on repackaging Matheran, MTDC was asked to prepare a detailed project plan on the lines discussed.
The idea is to give a boost to tourism as well as the existing facilities at the hill station. Matheran receives scant tourist flow in the monsoon months of June to August as even toy trains do not operate then. The state will look to ensure adequate infrastructure to ensure year-long access to the spot. Also, the plan will ensure 24x7 water supply by tapping alternative means. Water is currently being drawn from the Ulhas river and takes up a lot of time and finance. There are two other sources—Charlotte Lake and Simpson tank—which supply water for a brief period in the day.
The chairman of the high-level monitoring committee of Matheran (an area declared eco-sensitive in 2003), V Ranganathan, said the government must prepare plans in tune with the ecology of the area and keeping the expected noise and pollution levels in mind. "Whatever is the idea of development of Matheran, the government must keep all environmental aspects in mind and only then present a proposal to us.
They must also remember that most structures in the hill station have
heritage status and so permission of the Matheran Heritage Committee
will be required before any drastic alterations," he told TOI. Nearly
12,000 tourists visit Matheran daily during the peak season.
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environmental impact on matheran
http://www.grassrootsresearch.org/projects/matheran.htm
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environmental impact on matheran
http://www.grassrootsresearch.org/projects/matheran.htm
Matheran is a smallest hill station Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra, located amidst magnanimousness of nature. Matheran is situated on Sahyadri hill range of Maharashtra around 800m above sea level and is a perfect destination to spend weekends and long holidays.
ReplyDeletematheran tourism
Good blog. Matheran is famous hill station to spend your weekends. Their eco-friendly environment attracts the tourist. Last month we visit a mathern,we choose riviera hotel matheran for accommodation. It is nice hotel with all facilities.
ReplyDelete