CHENNAI: Soon, people can spend weekends by the side of the Poondi reservoir, enjoy a wave pool and gorge on seafood delicacies while staying at a cottage resort in Tiruttani enroute Tirupati, all because the Tiruvallur administration is ramping up its tourism infrastructure.
Recently, R Gandhi, minister for handlooms, handicrafts, textiles, and khadi, laid the foundation stone for a park and restaurant on 3.5 acres in Sathurangapettai, near the reservoir.
“An organised food street, including fish varieties, will be set up. People can also relax in the park, which will have space for a variety of activities,” said a tourism development officer.
Tiruvallur collector T Prabhushankar said that they are planning an artificial waterfall in the locality too. “This way, people can have fun at an affordable cost,” he said.
The district administration is tapping into the temple tourism potential in the locality as there are many temples, including the Tiruttani, Periyapalayam and Veeraraghava Perumal temples. Officials have written to the TTDC to include the Tiruttani temple in the Tirupati circuit.
“The temple is on the way to Tirupati. We have written to the tourism department to set up a TTDC resort in Tiruttani. We can arrange land for the same. People can stay there and visit Tiruttani temple and other tourist spots in Tiruvallur. As of now, we will tie up with private hotels for this project until the resort is constructed,” said Prabhushankar.
Private tourism stakeholders said that Tiruvallur has always had a good tourism potential with spots such as Poondi, Gudiyam caves, Pulicat, backwaters and many temples. “With proper coordination, the locality can be developed. Trekking, boating, water and adventure spots, and bird watching facilities can be created to attract people from Andhra Pradesh and Chennai,” said Richard Harris, a camping site promoter.
The collector said that the infrastructure gaps hindering tourism will be addressed. “The forest department is contemplating building trekking avenues in Gudiyattam,” he explained.
Udaya Kumar, a long-time resident of Putlur, said that it is high time the tourism potential of the district was tapped into. “We now go to Poondi Reservoir to spend the evening or visit some temples. But we need more recreational facilities,” he said.
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