Shikara grounded as Sukhna recedes

Ramkrishan Upadhyay 

Tribune news service 

Chandigarh, May 17 

With the water level of Sukhna decreasing and the area for boating being restricted, the tourists will not be able to enjoy the ride of the solar mini-cruise ship in the lake introduced by Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (CITCO) last year for now. 

One of the employees managing the boating said for the time being, the operation of the solar mini-cruise ship in the Sukhna Lake had been suspended due to the low-water level. Besides the cruise, the operation of shikaras and boats has also been restricted. CITCO installed the red flags to warn the people enjoying boating not to move further as they might get stuck in the silt. 

CITCO had introduced a solar mini-cruise ship in the Sukhna Lake, last year to further boost tourism in the city. It caught the fancy of the tourists. The mini-cruise ship has a capacity of 25 persons and most of the people take the ride in a group. 

Anand Kumar, a tourist who came from the Delhi, said he wanted to enjoy the ride of the solar cruise after hearing a lot about it, but he felt sad when he came to know that the cruise had been grounded for the time being. 

Besides the cruise, the boating has also been restricted to the area of the lake where the water-level is high. The water level of the Sukhna has reduced further and recorded 1152. 70 ft today. The lake is one of the most important tourists’ attractions of the city where hundreds of tourists visit everyday besides the local residents.