New Delhi, March 30 (NationPress) A number of National Waterways, notably the Ganga, Sutlej, and Indus, are currently being leveraged for water sports by various state governments, adhering to the safety protocols formulated by the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), as reported during a Lok Sabha session on Monday.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, detailed in a written response that the National Waterways being actively used for water sports include, among others: Ganga (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Sutlej (Himachal Pradesh), Indus (Ladakh), Chenab, Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Sabarmati, Netravati, Sharavati, Tungabhadra, Mandovi, Chapora, Ghataprabha, Ravi, and canal systems in Kerala.

However, he remarked that there is currently no formal proposal submitted to the Ministry of Tourism to explore the 111 declared National Waterways for water sports development.

According to Shekhawat, the NIWS-IITTM has crafted extensive safety standards and operational protocols for various water sports activities.

“These have been integrated by multiple States/UTs into their water sports and adventure tourism strategies. Technical assistance has been rendered to States/UTs including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, and Puducherry,” he stated.

Shekhawat emphasized that the implementation of safety regulations falls under the jurisdiction of the respective State/UT governments. Enforcement bodies include the Tourist Police in Goa, the Tourist Safety Enforcement Team (TSET) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and State and District-level Adventure Tourism Committees in Gujarat and Odisha.

He noted that adherence to safety standards is evaluated by State/UT authorities via regular inspections, audits, and enforcement teams, following their specific guidelines.

The Ministry of Tourism, via its autonomous body, the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS-IITTM), provides training courses related to scuba diving, surfing, parasailing, canoeing, and other water sports activities.

According to the Minister's written reply, there is no formal proposal with the Ministry of Tourism for enhancing water sports infrastructure in Coastal Karnataka.

“Nevertheless, certain States/UTs like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, and Odisha have reached out to the NIWS-IITTM for the establishment of satellite centers aimed at fostering capacity building and promoting safe water-based tourism,” Shekhawat concluded.