Students and tourists thronging Puducherry will have an opportunity to visit safe areas of working mines and eco-tourism facilities at Neyveli following an understanding the Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation had with NLC India Limited to organise guided tours to de-coaled areas of NLC mines.
ADVERTISEMENT
A Memorandum of Understanding to promote eco-tourism was signed between Executive Director (Mines), NLC A. Rajasekhara Reddy and Managing Director, PTDC , T. Balaji in the presence of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan, Secretary Tourism T. Arun and Director, Mines, NLC, Suresh Chandra Suman at Puducherry recently.
The agreement has paved way for promotion of eco- tourism in Mine 1 and 11 in NLC by PTDC as part of its tourism promotion activities in UT. The Corporation would be organising educational trips, carry out branding of eco-tourism in NLC and take up tourist booking for visiting mines.
ADVERTISEMENT
As part of NLC’s effort to promote sustainable tourism, the organisation had developed boating facilities in an artificial lake, bird watching , mini zoo, spotted deer enclosure, rain water harvesting ponds and special variety tea garden at Mine-1 and Mine -11.
“NLCIL undertakes wide range of sustainability development projects and Corporate Social Responsibility measures for the environment protection, community and rural development thus ensuring the sustainable development of the company. NLCIL believes that sustainable development, environment protection and eco-care is blended into every act of its business and activity and has become part and parcel of its existence,” a release from NLC India Limited said here.
The agreement would also pave way for development of Chunnambar as NLC has committed to fund landscaping at the boat house. The entity would also take up maintenance of the landscaping for a period of one year under its CSR programme, a PTDC official said.