Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $126.42 million loan agreement, to promote sustainable and climate-resilient tourism in the Tehri Lake region, Uttarakhand. This supports Uttarakhand Government’s goal of positioning the state as a diversified, all-weather tourism destination.
Key Highlights
- Project showcases a model of sustainable tourism anchored around Tehri hydropower lake.
- Adopts a multisector approach: job creation, income diversification, and climate resilience.
- Location: Tehri Garhwal district, one of the most climate-vulnerable and economically disadvantaged regions.
Who Will Benefit?
- 87,000+ local residents.
- 2.7 million annual visitors.
- Benefits include improved tourism infrastructure, sanitation, waste management, disaster preparedness, and rural livelihood support.
Key Interventions and Features
- Upgraded Tourism Infrastructure: eco-parks, trails, viewpoints, rest areas.
- Sanitation & Waste Management: modern systems for tourists and locals.
- Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: designed to withstand floods, landslides, and disasters.
- Institutional Strengthening: improved local governance & planning capacity.
- Nature-Based Solutions: green buffers, catchment restoration to reduce flood & landslide risks.
- Inclusivity: Universal access features for persons with disabilities.
Special Initiatives:
- Livelihood Matching Grant Program: supports women, youth, and MSME-led tourism ventures.
- Women-led Disaster Risk Management (DRM) initiatives in pilot villages.
- Private sector participation to enhance service quality and job creation.
Promoting Inclusive & Community-Led Tourism
- Encourages broad-based participation.
- Women, youth, MSMEs as key drivers of new tourism economy.
- Shifts focus from seasonal tourism to sustainable, diversified tourism economy.
Alignment with National & Global Goals
- Digital India & Swachh Bharat Missions → smart sanitation, clean spaces.
- National Tourism Policy 2022 → sustainable, inclusive, resilient tourism.
- India’s Climate Goals & Paris Agreement → low-carbon infra, disaster resilience.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- Established: 1966.
- Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
- Members: 68 (49 from Asia-Pacific).
- Current President (2025): Masatsugu Asakawa (Japan).
- India: founding member; largest borrower after China & Indonesia.
Tehri Lake & Dam
- Tehri Lake (Uttarakhand): India’s largest man-made lake, created by the Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi River.
- One of the tallest dams in the world (260.5 m).
- Created Tehri Lake, now a hub for water sports & adventure tourism.
- Hydropower capacity: ~1,000 MW (Stage-I) + additional pumped storage projects.
National Tourism Policy 2022
- Vision: Make India a world leader in sustainable tourism.
- Focus areas: green infrastructure, inclusivity, digitalization, MSME participation, resilience against disasters.
Uttarakhand Tourism
- Known as “Devbhumi” (Land of the Gods).
- Major circuits: Char Dham Yatra, Valley of Flowers, Jim Corbett National Park, Auli, Tehri Lake.
- Uttarakhand Tourism Policy: Aims at all-weather tourism, with focus on adventure, wellness, and rural tourism.
- Challenges: seasonal dependency, climate risks, limited infrastructure.