The stretch of the Mahanadi River in Cuttack, the former capital of Odisha, got a swanky new boat club recently as part of the state&rsquos focus on exploring the tourism potential of the state.
The new Silver City Boat Club includes a floating jetty, booking counter and complex for lifeguards, toilet block, a restaurant, parking area and a children&rsquos park.
Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) revamped the former cyclone damaged club to build a new one to promote water-based sporting facilities for visitors.
According to tourism officials, the boat club is being built in phases and when completed will have facilities such as pedal boats, speed boats, jet ski, banana boat, water scooters, etc. Facilities for kayaking and scuba diving are also on the anvil.
While OTDC will manage the Boat Club, private operators will be roped in too. Private operators will be able to use the infrastructure and facilities to run their own programmes according to the prevailing user fee model.
The Silver City Boat Club was recently inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually keeping the pandemic situation in mind.
The Mahanadi River is an integral part of Odisha, from livelihood to culture. One of the best times to visit the Mahanadi river bank in Cuttack is during the Balijatra festival, which commemorates the maritime link between Kalinga (an old name of Odisha) and the Indonesian islands of Bali, Sumatra, etc. It is held during the Boita Bandana festival held during Kartik Purnima (usually in November).