Maharashtra pushes for timely completion of Munawale Aqua Tourism Project
Munawale Watersports Meeting
The project is expected to give a boost to tourism in the Satara district and generate significant employment for people in the area.
The Minister of Tourism of Maharashtra, Shambhuraj Desai, has directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination to ensure the timely completion of the Munawale Aqua Tourism Project, describing it as one of the Maharashtra Government’s flagship tourism initiatives and a key project being closely monitored by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde.
Minister Desai chaired a detailed review meeting on the project at Vidhan Bhavan, with Minister of Public Works of Maharashtra, Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale. The project is expected to give a boost to tourism in the Satara district and generate significant employment for people in the area. More broadly, it’s meant to strengthen Maharashtra’s water tourism sector and help position Satara as one of the state’s top aqua tourism destinations.
Much of the discussion centred on turning the Munawale (Shivsagar Reservoir) area into a world-class aqua tourism hub. Officials pointed out that the region’s natural landscape and water resources give it strong potential for sustainable tourism.
The meeting went through the project's master plan, pending approvals, infrastructure needs and the roadmap ahead. The Minister told departments to obtain all administrative approvals and statutory clearances within the set timeframe, and emphasised the need for careful planning and smooth coordination across departments at every stage.
The plan includes world-class aquatourism facilities around the Koyna reservoir, such as boating, water sports, tourist facilitation centres, and other visitor amenities. Under the revised administrative approval, the project's cost has now gone up to over INR 92 crore.
Tourism development at Pratapgad Fort also came up for review. The meeting gave in-principle approval for a grand memorial featuring a full-length statue of Veer Jivaji Mahale. Officials were told to identify suitable land and finalise the proposal on priority.
Those present at the meeting included Sanjay Khandare (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism), Government of Maharashtra, Mangesh Joshi (IAS); Director, Directorate of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra; Santosh Rokade, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra; Vijay Powar, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra along with senior officials from the Forest Department, Water Resources Department and other concerned departments. The Minister reiterated that all departments must work closely together to expedite both the Munawale Aqua Tourism Project and the tourism initiatives at Pratapgad Fort.
