The Madhya Pradesh government has permitted the resumption of water tourism in the state. It will reopen with 50 percent capacity and all cruise and boat operators will have to follow the COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Since March, water tourism activities had come to an abrupt halt in the state

Shivshekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, State Tourism Department said, “Boats and cruises used for tourism and water sports at various locations in Madhya Pradesh can now be run with 50 percent of the total capacity of tourists.”

Boat operators and their crew will have to compulsory undergo regular medical check-ups. Apart from this, they need to submit self-declaration forms. These forms will state that if found infected with the virus, the individual will inform the local administration immediately. Boat operators will also need to maintain a record of tourists. Details like name, contact number, address, body temperature, and Aadhaar card number need to be recorded.

Other guidelines include sanitisation of boats and equipment after every use. Also, the use of masks and social distancing is mandatory while aboard the boat club campus. Through paperless tickets, visitors can enter the boat club.

There are several water tourism spots in the state like Bhopal, Bargi dam (Jabalpur), Hanuwantia (Khandwa), and Orchha (Niwari). Tawa dam (Hoshangabad) and Sailani island (Khandwa) are also in this list among others.

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