The Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday allowed resumption of water tourism in the state with 50 per cent capacity and asked boat and cruise operators to strictly follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Water tourism activities in the state were shut since March when the lockdown was enforced to curb the spread of the deadly viral infection.
“Boats and cruises used for tourism and water sports at various locations in Madhya Pradesh can now be run with 50 per cent of the total capacity of tourists,” state tourism department’s principal secretary Shivshekhar Shukla said in a statement.
Boat operators and their staff will need to undergo regular medical check-ups and submit self-declaration forms that if found infected with coronavirus, they will immediately inform the local administration and management, he said.
Guidelines issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will have to be followed during the operation of water sports facilities, he said.
Boat operators will also need to maintain a record of visitors and tourists, including their names, contact numbers, address, body temperature and Aadhaar card number, he said.
They are also directed to sanitise their boats and other equipment after every use, and entry on a boat club campus without a mask will not be allowed, the official said.
All those present on the boat club campus will need to follow the social distancing norms, he said.
Visitors will be allowed entry in the boat club through paperless tickets, he added.
There are nearly a dozen water tourism spots in the state, including in Bhopal, Hanuwantia (Khandwa), Tawa dam (Hoshangabad), Bargi dam (Jabalpur), Sailani island (Khandwa), Orchha (Niwari) among others, tourism department officials said.
