Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 12: NRI and businessman Dr Ronald Colaco met Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar and submitted a comprehensive proposal seeking the creation of a high-level Karnataka Coastal Tourism & Commercial Development Task Force to prepare a long-term development strategy for the state's coastal belt.
Colaco met the chief minister along with Dr Arathi Krishna, member of the Karnataka Legislative Council (MLC) and deputy chairperson of the NRI Forum, government of Karnataka.
The proposed plan covers Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, with the objective of developing the three districts into major centres for tourism, hospitality, trade, commerce and investment, while ensuring that their environmental and cultural identity is preserved.
Instead of a large committee, Colaco has proposed a compact and empowered task force comprising around 12 to 15 members. The proposed body would include senior government officials handling finance, environment and pollution control; town planners from Karnataka and other states; an international-level planner; an architect; experts from tourism and hospitality; an NRI/NRK representative; industry representatives; and specialists in ports, water transport, roads and railways.
A central recommendation is the preparation of a 20-25 year Integrated Coastal Tourism and Commercial Development Master Plan. The objective is to ensure that development takes place through a coordinated strategy rather than through a series of unrelated projects.
The proposal recommends scientifically identifying locations suitable for different forms of development, including beach tourism, resorts and hotels, convention and wedding destinations, wellness and medical tourism, marinas, waterfronts, water sports, tourism villages, cruise facilities, cultural and eco-tourism and commercial centres. It also calls for examining the potential of recreational boating, waterfront promenades and coastal entertainment districts to encourage tourists to extend their stays.
The proposed development strategy extends beyond tourism. Colaco has suggested exploring opportunities in logistics, port-linked activities, seafood and marine industries, healthcare, education, technology and other sectors capable of generating employment.
Improved connectivity has been identified as a key requirement. The proposal covers highways and arterial roads, airport and railway connectivity, ports and public transport, besides coastal and inland water transport wherever feasible.
The task force could seek the expertise of international planners, architects, marina and waterfront specialists, and tourism and infrastructure experts. It could also study development models from Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Spain and Italy and adapt suitable practices to Karnataka's geography, laws and environmental conditions.
To encourage investment, the proposal calls for a framework to attract public-private partnerships (PPP), private investment and institutional investment, supported by appropriate concession and viability mechanisms. It also suggests a single-window facilitation system involving the Tourism, Revenue, Urban Development, Environment, Industries, Ports, Fisheries and other departments. The system would aim to reduce administrative delays without compromising statutory approvals.
Government-owned land and other public assets could be identified for tourism and commercial projects and offered through transparent long-term leases, concessions or PPP arrangements. According to the proposal, major projects should not be evaluated solely on the basis of investment attracted, but also on employment generation, opportunities created for local youth, local procurement and the growth of ancillary businesses.
Colaco has also called for specialised skill-development programmes covering hospitality, tourism management, culinary services, marine activities, logistics, healthcare and foreign languages. Fishermen, farmers, artisans, taxi operators, small traders, women entrepreneurs and local youth should be integrated into the tourism economy, the proposal states.
A separate programme has been proposed to attract NRIs and global Kannadigas, particularly those based in the Gulf, Europe and North America. Once projects and feasibility studies are completed, the government could organise a Coastal Karnataka Investment Summit or Roadshow to showcase specific investment opportunities, including project details, land and infrastructure information, approval requirements, financial models and timelines.
The proposed master plan should also assess the potential impact on government revenue, tourism receipts, employment, business turnover, property-related economic activity and private investment over five-, 10- and 20-year periods.
Environmental protection forms a major component of the proposal. Colaco has stressed that all development must comply with the applicable environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) framework. Mangroves, wetlands, rivers, beaches and other environmentally sensitive areas should be scientifically identified and protected, while development should be concentrated in locations considered suitable.
The proposal seeks a review of existing coastal environmental restrictions based on present-day environmental science, climate resilience and modern planning practices. It suggests moving away from a blanket No Development approach towards Responsible Development, while continuing stringent protection for ecologically sensitive areas.
Under the proposed framework, coastal areas could be classified into Conservation Zones, Eco-Tourism Zones, Tourism Development Zones and Waterfront/Commercial Development Zones, with separate permitted activities and safeguards for each category.
Major projects should also contribute towards environmental improvement through mangrove restoration, coastal forests, parks, green belts, wetland restoration, beach improvement, sewage treatment and biodiversity protection. Beaches, the proposal states, should remain substantially public and accessible through promenades, parks and recreational facilities rather than allowing waterfronts to become completely privatised.
Colaco has further suggested developing pilot Coastal Economic & Tourism Zones, where the Centre, state government and scientific institutions could demonstrate how tourism and commercial development can be combined with environmental restoration.
The proposal also recommends examining the possibility of creating controlled seawater inlets, canals, lagoons and marina basins at technically suitable locations. Such projects, however, would require detailed studies covering tidal circulation, hydrology, sedimentation, erosion and flooding.
Rather than creating entirely artificial waterways, the proposal gives preference to rejuvenating existing backwaters, estuaries, creeks and waterways. Where technically and environmentally feasible, these could be developed to support boating, water taxis, marinas, restaurants, promenades, resorts and other tourism activities.
Large-scale projects such as marinas, waterfront developments, artificial lagoons and seawater-linked projects should be taken up only after independent technical, environmental, CRZ, hydrological, financial and economic feasibility studies, the proposal states.
Zero untreated sewage discharge has been identified as a key environmental condition. No major new coastal tourism or commercial project should be permitted to discharge untreated sewage into beaches, rivers, canals, backwaters or the Arabian Sea.
Tourism and commercial zones should be equipped with modern sewage treatment plants capable of accommodating future growth. Treated wastewater could be reused for landscaping, gardens and flushing, while continuous monitoring of water quality should be undertaken.
The proposal also calls for upgrading sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, storm-water drains and solid-waste management systems in existing coastal towns before major new tourism destinations are developed.
For large integrated destinations, the government should identify and, wherever legally possible, assemble large contiguous parcels of land along the sea, backwaters, rivers and estuaries through KIADB or other appropriate agencies, the proposal suggests.
Such land should first be master-planned before individual parcels are offered to investors through transparent bidding or PPP arrangements. Planned destinations could include marinas, waterways, boating, cruises, water sports, hotels, resorts, convention centres, restaurants, entertainment facilities, commercial centres, healthcare facilities, promenades and public spaces.
At the same time, islands, mangroves, wetlands, forests and other sensitive areas should be mapped and protected or restored. Sewage treatment, recycled-water systems, storm-water drainage, waste management, water-quality monitoring and flood and coastal protection infrastructure should be put in place before commercial development begins.
The government could retain strategic ownership of valuable waterfront land through long-term leases, concessions, PPPs or revenue-sharing arrangements instead of permanently transferring such land, Colaco has proposed.
The task force should submit an initial strategic report within six months and detailed recommendations on priority projects within 12 months, according to the proposal. These recommendations should include investment requirements, employment potential, infrastructure needs and the agencies responsible for implementation.
The proposed task force would function under the overall guidance of the chief minister, deputy chief minister, tourism minister and other concerned ministers, with a designated nodal department coordinating activities among various departments.
The central idea behind the proposal is that the government should first plan and assemble integrated coastal destinations and establish the basic infrastructure. Private investors could then develop individual projects within a common master plan. This, Colaco believes, would help avoid fragmented and unplanned development along Karnataka's coastline.