Jammu: A three-day ‘Tawi Mahotsav’ will be held along the Tawi riverfront here from April 14 to mark Baisakhi, with aarti, boating and a laser show set to be the key attractions, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Devansh Yadav said on Wednesday.
He said the entire left bank of the Tawi riverfront will remain open to the public during the festival, also featuring a range of cultural, recreational and traditional activities.
“Baisakhi, celebrated every year with great enthusiasm in Jammu, is approaching, and on this auspicious occasion, the ‘Tawi Mahotsav’ will be held by JMC from April 14 to 16 in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Information and Public Relations,” Yadav told reporters here.
He said the key highlights of the event include Tawi Aarti, boating, laser show, wrestling (Dangal), Dogri cuisine, handloom and handicraft stalls, various food stalls and activities for children.
“Tawi Mahotsav is a celebration of diverse cultural and religious traditions. I urge people of Jammu to participate in large numbers with their families,” he said, adding that the festival will not only showcase Dogri culture but also promote efforts to keep the sacred Tawi River clean and pristine.
Referring to the maiden boat festival held at the Tawi riverfront in January, he said the activity will be conducted in a more professional manner this time and will also help assess its feasibility.
“In the coming days, a government institution, NIWS Goa (National Institute of Water Studies), will submit its report. Based on that, we aim to provide a permanent boating facility for the public,” the JMC Commissioner said.
He said the introduction of Shikaras (boats) will be decided at a later stage.
“Once we receive the final NIWS report detailing the scope for water sports and related activities, we will proceed accordingly,” he said, adding that a permanent infrastructure is expected to be set up within two to three months after the report is received.
Besides SDRF deployment, Yadav said each boat will have a trained life rescuer and no one will be allowed without a life jacket, adding that with water depth of two to three metres, adequate rescue teams will be stationed to ensure safety.
On measures to keep the Tawi river clean, he said the department has significantly stepped up enforcement this year, imposing several times more fines on violators who were caught throwing garbage into the water body.
“In several instances, commercial establishments were shut down for disposing of leftover food into drains. Now, over 40 such establishments have adopted on-site composting. Major temples, including the historic Raghunath Temple and Bawe Mata Temple, are also sending ritual waste to Narwal, where it is processed into compost,” he said.
He said efforts are being made to curb the immersion of ritual materials into the Tawi, which contributes to its pollution.
“We will conduct large-scale awareness drives during the Tawi Mahotsav, with over 50 Swachhta Ambassadors interacting with people and urging them not to throw any materials into the river,” he said.
He said the left bank package of the Tawi riverfront was completed in December, and the focus has now shifted to greening the area, noting that a riverfront without trees and greenery is less appealing and attracts fewer tourists.
He said grass is being laid over a 150-metre stretch, to be extended to one kilometre with a width of around 10 metres, along with plantation of palm trees.
