Destination Inbound

Sylvan paradise

Popularly regarded as the green belt of the west coast, Silvassa, the capital of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with its tribal and folk culture, is now actively getting into promoting itself as an eco-tourism destination. By Beryl Menezes

What makes Silvassa an ideal destination is its proximity - it is located not too far from the city, yet far enough from city crowds. With five million tourists visiting the region every weekend, it is a popular weekend getaway destination. However, the feature that sets Silvassa apart is its nature trails and wildlife sanctuaries. The ministry of tourism of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has exploited this aspect to its fullest potential by encouraging eco-farming, setting up a tribal museum, hosting wildlife safaris and in recent years promoting eco-tourism in and around the area. The islands of Daman and Diu and Shirdi located nearby also offer a mix of culture and religion.

Located 180 kms away from Mumbai, Silvassa derives its name from 'silva', the Portuguese word for 'wood', the latter being the original rulers of the capital, having been presented with the islands as a gift from the Marathas in 1779. Since its liberation on August 2, 1954, and its merging with the Indian Union on August 11, 1961, the UT with its 72 villages is headed by an administrator, whose post is presently held by Satya Gopal. Some of the major tourist attractions are Hirwa Van, a landscaped garden at Piparia, Silvassa, Vaganga Lake and Island garden, Dadra - the venue for many a Bollywood flick, Vanvihar tourist complex in Chauda, Khanvel, the Water Sports and Tentage complex at Dudhni, tribal museum at Silvassa and Our Lady of Piety Church, also in Silvassa, which has survived since the Portuguese rule. For a sight of the myriad wildlife and exotic bird life that are exclusive to this region, a visit to the lion safari at Vasona, Silvassa as well as the Sat Malia Deer Park at Dapada in Silvassa is a must.

Eco-friendly initiatives

Though Silvassa earns a major part of its revenue from its various commercial industries, numbering 4,200 in total, the local administration is very firm about segregating the industrial belt from the forest belt, which covers about 40 per cent of the total land area, in addition to 92 sq km of reserved wildlife sanctuary land. "The industrial belt makes up only 10 per cent of the total land area, and we have ensured that only eco-friendly industries are allowed to operate here. Moreover, we have a monetarium on commercial felling of trees, and since 1980, we have not felled a single tree for commercial purposes. We also have a pollution-control committee, and our forest officers make it a point to educate the locals as well as tourists about preserving our greatest heritage - forests," informs A K Singh, chairman and collector, Silvassa and union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The province also encourages eco-farming and has segregated certain areas exclusively for organic farming. Besides, it is a part of the Incredible India tourism programme, and has 5000 acres of land set aside for SEZ's, besides 22,000 acres of government-approved irrigated land.

Though eco-friendly initiatives have been initiated only in the last couple of years, already a lot has been done. The first step in this direction has been to preserve the tribal culture making up 62.24 per cent of the total population. The ministry of tourism has set up a tribal museum showcasing the varied cultures of the tribes like Dhodias, Kokna, Varli, Koli, Kathodi, Naika and Dubla, and in the near future it plans to develop a rural tourism complex where visitors will be able to live with tribals in order to understand their culture better. Schools have also been set up to educate tribals so as to bring them on par with the mainstream, while at the same time they have been provided with sufficient resources to preserve their rich cultural heritage, which portrays itself most fervently in the many festivals and rituals - one for each season, which centre around musical instruments as well as curious dance forms.

In order to attract more revenue for the territory, the ministry of tourism of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has adopted the PPP model for leasing out land to private entrepreneurs to set up properties like tourist complexes, resorts, etc. "We are giving out the land to private investors, and are willing to back them up with all the infrastructural and administration facilities that they would require for this purpose. The central government has also backed us up with loans to improve the infrastructure," informs Satya Gopal, the district administrator.

Hotels and accommodation

As far as hotels and resorts are concerned, although these have come up only post the nineties, they have proliferated in a very short span of time, thanks to the suitable supply of water and electricity. The Silvassa Hotel & Restaurant Association has 40 hotels under its jurisdiction, which also includes 100 restaurants and 10 guest houses. From starred and non-starred resorts to well-laid cottages, budget hotels and tents, accommodation is not a problem here. There is also a Dadra & Nagar Haveli Wine Merchants Association which manages 62 bars. With land being given out to private investors, there will soon be even more hotels set up, offering the latest facilities for business and leisure tourism, in terms of extensive conferencing facilities, banquet halls, water sports, uninterrupted internet connection and 100 per cent mobile coverage. However, even with all this development which is aimed at opening the borders in order to increase visitors to twice the present numbers, adequate steps have been taken to ensure that all hotels adopt eco-friendly initiatives. "The ecological department has enforced a ban on plastics and all hotels have to strictly adhere to this policy, by zero use of plastics," informs Hirabhai Patel, joint secretary of Silvassa Hotel & Restaurant Association.

Upcoming projects

As per records of the tourism ministry of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, local tourism has witnessed a growth of 10-15 per cent in the last three years. However, there are several projects that the ministry has in mind for the future which it plans to develop with the help of the government over a 20 year period. A few of these initiatives include a 2000 sq ft convention centre due to be established by December, an institute of hotel management and catering technology, Damanganga river front development and construction of barrage, Madhuban garden and air strip, a golf course to come up at Talavalli, a water sports complex at Dudhni, a tourist complex at Luhari and Himai Van health resort and spa at Kauncha. The directorate of tourism also recently launched a website: www.silvassatourism.org, by means of which it aims to bring Dadra and Nagar Haveli on the tourist map of the country as a preffered destination and to function as a communication channel between tourists and the government.

"If we readily use the available resources - ecology being the largest one - and take adequate measures to showcase our colourful folk culture - two resources which are a rarity elsewhere, but in abundance here, I am convinced that we will be regarded as a profitable, yet eco-friendly destination," concludes A D Nikam, deputy director of tourism of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.