RAHIM YAR KHAN: A boat safari was launched by the Tourism Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP) on the Indus river at Chachraan Sharif near Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Bridge without making necessary arrangements on Thursday.

TDCP MD/Secretary Ehsan Bhutta inaugurated the Indus River Safari and initially only two boats with capacity of six persons each would facilitate the visitors against a costly ticket.

There is neither a proper metalled road for the easy excess to the safari point nor any basic facilities of cafeteria, washrooms, waiting area and parking for motorists. The bushes along the river were not removed.

According to a source in the TDCP, the corporation had failed to operate the tourist points at Fort Monro in Dera Ghazi Khan and Lal Sohanra Park in Bahawalpur successfully as they could not attract the tourists. He said there was lack of interest by higher-ups of the TDCP in far-flung districts, which was the main reason behind the failure of the corporation’s ventures.

The source said there were fewer chances of the success of the Indus River Safari just like other ventures of the TDCP, which needed highly trained staff for the safety of tourists.

Some locals said the boat safari could become a good tourist point and suggested that the Indus Queen, the old ship of Nawab of Bahawalpur Sir Sadiq Muhammad Abbasi he had gifted to Seraiki classic poet Khawaja Fareed, should be made part of the safari. They said the Indus Queen was in a dilapidated condition near the spur of Kot Mithan Sharif and it should be completely restored to become a part of Indus Safari.

This scribe made multiple attempts to contact TDCP spokesperson Abid Shouket for the version of the corporation but he did not reply to repeated calls and text messages on his mobile number.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2022