Jaipur: The Rajasthan govt will develop the Mahi Dam region in Banswara district as a major eco-tourism destination, with a focus on the scenic “City of Hundred Islands” along the Mahi River, Water Resources Minister Suresh Rawat said on Tuesday.The initiative seeks to promote regulated and eco-friendly tourism in the Mahi reservoir, known for its cluster of picturesque islands, while also strengthening water conservation and creating employment opportunities for local communities. To take the project forward, the govt has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Udaipur divisional commissioner. The panel will prepare a comprehensive master plan and lay down a framework for controlled tourism activities in the area. “The proposed plan will regulate land use, water sports, and other tourism activities while ensuring strict adherence to environmental norms. The initiative seeks to harness the area’s natural beauty, offering water-based activities and eco-tourism to enhance regional appeal. This effort is anticipated to generate revenue and establish the region as a model for sustainable development,” Rawat said. Officials noted that the region, characterised by scattered islets in the Mahi backwaters and surrounded by greenery and hills, has already emerged as a tourist draw. The new plan aims to build on this appeal through planned infrastructure and nature-based attractions. “Characterized by scattered islets within the Mahi backwaters and surrounded by lush greenery and hills, this region is already attracting tourists. In this area—which has established an identity as the ‘city of hundred islands’—various attractions such as water activities, nature-based tourism, scenic viewpoints and other amenities will be developed,” an official said. The committee comprises representatives from the water resources, forest, tourism, public health engineering and pollution control departments, along with an assistant town planner. The superintending engineer of the Mahi Project will serve as member secretary. “The committee will formulate rules for land use, demarcation, leasing, water sports and tourism operations across the dam’s catchment, islands and surrounding lands,” another official added.
Mahi Dam’s ‘hundred islands’ set for eco-tourism push | Jaipur News
