Govt focusing on New Tehri: Dhanai

Tribune News Service

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Mussoorie, February 14

The new town of Tehri that came into existence after the old Tehri town submerged under waters following the construction of the Tehri Hydroelectric Dam needs to be developed as a tourist destination. Tourism Minister Dinesh Dhanai says the state government is committed to developing New Tehri as a major tourist town and the work has already begun.

New Tehri town situated at around 1,600 metres was constructed with an objective to relocate people residing at historical old Tehri town that submerged under the waters of the 45 sq km lake of the Tehri Hydropower project built on the confluence of the Bhagirathi and the Bhilangana.

New Tehri situated around 135 km from Dehradun is a well-planned town having uniqueness that is not visible anywhere else in the state. Government employees and those who have been rehabilitated from old Tehri town live here.

New Tehri has hotels and a Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam guesthouse. It also boasts of a stadium at Baurari where all major cultural and sports activities are organised. New Tehri also has several institutions, namely HNB Garhwal Central University and Sridev Suman University at Badshahi Thaul.

The rock-filled Tehri dam is a marvel of engineering and presents a breathtaking sight from New Tehri. However, the town despite having all ingredients to become an important hill station is yet to make a mark on the tourism front. The absence of adequate signboards informing travellers about the road to New Tehri from Haridwar or Rishikesh also does not help the cause. 

The hotel business in the town is dependent on local people who come to the district headquarters or courts. Fewer tourists visit the town as compared to other nearby tourist stations such as Dhanaulti and Mussoorie, says an hotelier Harmendar Malla. The town has the potential of becoming a major tourist destination but it is not being marketed in the right way. The town can become an alternate destination to Mussoorie but there is minimal connectivity from Mussoorie to Chamba and then to New Tehri. This deters tourists from visiting the Tehri dam. Taxi operators charge exorbitant fare affecting tourist footfall, says Baljeet, a tourist in Mussoorie who wanted to take his family to the Tehri dam for an outing. 

Many people say until the Dehradun-Mussoorie-Tehri-Rishikesh circuit is not developed there are minimal chances of New Tehri emerging as a major tourist destination. The Tourism Minister says the Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Sports Academy near the Koti colony has started functioning. It is providing training to local youths to work as guides and trainers of various adventure and water sports activities being conducted on the Tehri Lake. Several entrepreneurs have been given licences for houseboats. A floating restaurant and several entertainment activities are also proposed on the lake for tourists, says Dhanai.