The Hindu Business Line : Govt urged to develop water sports sector

SPEAKERS at a seminar organised as part of the India International Boat Show have stressed the need for a policy change in water sports sector as Kerala has immense opportunities in this and allied activities.

Speaking at the seminar on yachting and water sports opportunities in the country, they pointed out that it was high time to have a policy change coupled with infrastructure development to explore the water sports sector which has eight times more potential than the IT sector.

They also admired the fact that Kerala laid great stress on the safety factor of water sports, which according to Mr Rajiv Somany of H2O Watersports, Mumbai, is what keeps water sports entrepreneurs in business. The speakers also stressed the need to correctly interpret the Coastal Regulation Zone Act in order to promote the water sports activities.

According to Mr Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Director, Kerala Tourism, the department is planning to set up a marina for yachting in the next eight to nine months. Responding to a suggestion by Mr Luc Adriaenssen of the Catamaran World, France, Mr Sharma, said the Governments had to build marinas to attract yachts to India.

"Marinas are absolutely necessary for attracting the rich tourists to this side of the country" who uses yachts as mere toys, Mr Adriaenssen said and added that all allied facilities need to be provided to make the country an attractive tourist destination.

Mr Mike Derret of Mike Derret Marine of the United Kingdom, who is involved in developing marine facilities in India, said that although India is an attractive destination, poor infrastructure is a disincentive in the boating sector. High taxation and import duties would put off entrepreneurs in this sector. He urged the removal of cruising restrictions and also the need to promote boating at grass-root levels.

Cmdr Arun Patil, Principal of the National Institute of Watersports, Goa, said that the concept of safety norms is more or less unchanged in the past 25 years. He also stressed the need for standardised training courses and procedures.

Renowned advertising filmmaker and operator of Lace Dives, Mumbai, Mr Prahalad Kakar, said Indians are using their seas as rubbish dumps, as they do not know much about it. He is in running a scuba diving institute to educate people on this problem. "If we do not educate the people, we will choke our seas," he said.

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