The Tourism Department has devised a proposal to bring about significant increase in footfall of visitors to Muthupet lagoon in Tiruvarur district, on par with Pitchavaram Mangrove Forest, by improving the boating facility.
After carrying out a joint inspection earlier this month, officials of Tourism and Forest departments sent the proposal to the government specifying the funds required for completing the unfinished work on construction of a jetty to accommodate at least 10 boats, and establishing a boat house.
The proposal was sent on the heels of the Tourism department banning ferrying of visitors by fishermen in their boats for sight-seeing by charging exorbitant rates. The rates charged by a section of unscrupulous fishermen for a trip in the lagoon had been in range of ₹1,000, official sources said.
In all probability, the project will be implemented through the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, sources said.
The initial works carried out by the Tourism department include construction of basement and creation of enclosure. The department will be starting a restaurant and a dormitory once the work on boat jetty is over, District Tourism Officer In-Charge Madhavan said.
Tourists visiting Muthupet from far-off places are required to stay at Pattukkottai or Tiruthuraipoondi which are more than 20 km away.
Having restrained from offering rides to visitors for safety reasons, the department was looking forward to setting up a temporary shed and extend limited boating services until the project is implemented in a full-fledged way, Mr. Madhavan said.
The scope for creating a direct path to facilitate tourists to come in buses till the jetty was also being explored, he said.
On its part, the Forest department, which has control over the lagoon located at the southern end of the Cauvery river on the Bay of Bengal, is understandably evaluating possibilities to improve the mangrove forests further.