Maha CM visits Lonar lake, suggests careful tourism upgrade

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the Lonar crater lake and suggested careful tourism upgrade. The oval-shaped Lonar lake, formed after a meteorite hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago, is a popular tourist hub.

Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday visited the Lonar crater lake in Buldhana district and asked officials to develop tourism facilities at the site without disturbing the local biodiversity.

A release by the District Information Office said the chief minister visited the Van Kuti viewpoint and Daitya Sudan temple at the Lonar lake.

The oval-shaped Lonar lake, formed after a meteorite hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago, is a popular tourist hub.

Thackeray said the Lonar lake is an ocean of biodiversity and careful planning is needed while developing tourism facilities around the site to avoid overcrowding.

Accordingly, a draft plan should be prepared and implemented properly to give a facelift to the site.

Thackeray held a meeting with officials and deliberated on development of the Lonar Lake, the release said.

"The Lonar lake is very popular with scientists who visit here in large numbers. Arrangements should be made to attract all kinds of tourists.

"The lake has huge biodiversity around it and development of the place needs to be done in a proper manner, the release quoted the CM as saying.

While developing the lake site, its biodiversity should not be disturbed and limited entry of visitors should be permitted, Thackeray said.

Last year, the Lonar lake was chosen as a wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar conservation treaty.

PTI