Come September 1, you can take a boat ride on the Naini Lake in Nainital.
Boating in the pristine waters is one of the main attractions in the hill station of Uttarakhand. The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown had prompted the state government to shut down boating activities since March.
As per reports, the decision to resume boating was taken after a meeting was conducted between the boat operators committee and officials of Nainital municipality on August 24. The chief executive officer of the municipality, Ashok Kumar, informed the press that since tourists are slowly returning to the town, boat operators have decided to resume services. He said that the boat operators and owners will have to ensure that travellers are wearing face masks, and social distancing rules are being followed. The boats will be subjected to continuous sanitisation while some guidelines will also be implemented during the booking of rides.
The resuming of boat services in Nainital will be helpful for the boat operators whose source of livelihood has almost become redundant since the outbreak of coronavirus. More than 60 pedal boats and 222 rowing boats ply in the Naini Lake. And the lives of over 300 boatmen depend on the boating service. They have had no work since visitors stopped arriving in March.
One of the most popular places in Uttarakhand, Nainital is frequented by weekend travellers from Delhi and nearby areas. The nearest railway station is 34 km away in Kathgodam.