Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) has decided to convert its Lake Princess cruise into a floating restaurant.
Boat Club Bhopal, a unit of the corporation, was operating the cruise on the Upper Lake till 2023. In that year, National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned its operation saying that it was polluting the water body. The MPTDC has now sought permission from NGT to use Lake Princess as a floating restaurant.
The floating restaurant won’t have a kitchen as the food will be cooked at the kitchen of Winds n Waves restaurant of MPTDC located across the road from Boat Club. It will only have a pantry where food will be served after heating. The liquid and solid waste of restaurant will not be discharged into Upper Lake but will be collected and handed over to Bhopal Municipal Corporation. There will be no toilets in the restaurant.
The diners will be able to book tables online or walk-in. The restaurant would be able to accommodate around 100 guests. The facility of booking the entire restaurant for small parties will also be available.
According to a MPTDC official, the view of the Upper Lake from the cruise will make dining in the restaurant a unique experience. “As soon as the permission comes through, we will start the restaurant. It will not cause any pollution,” he added.
Following the NGT ban, the corporation had moved Supreme Court arguing that its cruise and speed boats didn’t cause pollution. The case is pending in the apex court.
The NGT had banned the operation of all motorised vessels in water bodies in wetlands designated as Ramsar sites. “We are pursuing the case with NGT and our proposal will be presented at the next meeting,” the official said.
