dehradun

Updated: May 25, 2018 22:39 IST

A seaplane will land on Tehri lake next year as part of an elaborate promotional strategy by the Uttarakhand government to develop the artificial dam reservoir as a major tourist destination, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said Friday.

Speaking at the ongoing Tehri Lake festival, which he could not formally inaugurate as he arrived late due to bad weather, Rawat said the lake had the potential to attract visitors from all over the world and generate employment for thousands of people.

“We are working on a number of plans for Tehri lake. At the centre of them is landing a seaplane on it next year,” Rawat said after the three-day festival was inaugurated.

The chief minister said the lake could become a prominent shooting spot for Bollywood as he highlighted that a yet to be released Hindi film ‘Batti Gul Metre Chalu’ starring Shahid Kapoor was recently shot at the lake.

There are many filmmakers interested in shooting their films here, he said. Noting the limitless potential of development around the lake, Rawat asked investors to invest generously.

Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said the festival will aim to establish Tehri as an adventure sports destination as well. Regular boating, kayaking, canoeing, zorbing, rafting, parasailing and paragliding facilities will be provided at the lake for visitors, he said.

The state government had recently held a cabinet meeting onboard a floating restaurant on the picturesque lake to promote it, the minister said.

On the inaugural day, teams of folk singers from Uttarakhand and folk dances from Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam, Haryana, and Gujarat regaled the audience. Stalls serving traditional Garhwali cuisine were also set up at the venue.