In a recently concluded gala industry meet in Karnal, Delhi-NCR the Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar addressed industry leaders, exporters, and representatives of various associations including hospitality and medical tourism and has laid down a roadmap for promoting Karnal with Krishna Circuit and developing the Smart City as a Popular Tourism hub.
With Karnal becoming the tourism and medical hub of the state along with the huge potential for growth of various rising industries, he highlighted the significant role of Smart Karnal City in promoting Haryana on the domestic as well as international tourism growth map.
Chief Minister Khattar said, “Karnal and Kurukshetra are a rich pool of Indian culture and heritage with a lot of potential. Continuous work is being done to safeguard these two cities and transform them to international standards. The Karnal Smart city project will help in tapping the huge potential to become the inspiring tourism hub on the international tourism map. The development work is accelerated so that everything is completed quickly. We want the people of Karnal to prosper and want to generate more opportunities for them. The dream is to transform Karnal into role model making them sustainable and Tourism friendly.”
Numerous path-breaking initiatives are being undertaken to aid the development, progress, and growth of the Karnal city and transform it into the aspiring smart tourism destination.
Nishant Kumar Yadav, CEO of Karnal Smart City Limited and Karnal Deputy Commissioner said, “Smart Tourism destinations are going to be the next big thing in tourism as the travelers and tourists of the new informed world are increasingly demanding for more tech-savvy, sustainable and safe tourist destinations. We are committed to developing Karnal as the most preferred smart tourism destination for domestic as well as foreign tourists. The success of a few of our recent projects is an encouragement to work harder to fulfill our role and our commitment as a Role Model City. These projects will create a lot of business and employment opportunities to boost socio-economic wellbeing.
Karnal is now a part of Delhi NCR besides being declared a Smart City. The Proximity to Delhi & Chandigarh is a definite Advantage. The NH-1 has been now been upgraded with 12 Lane Highway right from Delhi to Karnal. The Government has decided to extend the Delhi-Metro RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) corridor up to Karnal for seamless transport and metro connectivity. This will result in fast travel from Karnal to Delhi Central within one hour.
Also, approval has been given for the expansion and renovation of the existing Karnal Airport to enable small and medium Aircraft to land for Domestic Flights, Parking Bays, Base, and light maintenance and repair operations. This has witnessed a spurt in industrial activity in Karnal.
Under the Smart City Project, the famous Karan Lake on NH-1 is being developed as a tourist destination hub as an upgraded project. Once completed it will have a wide jogging track, landscaping, an open-air gym, a cycling track, musical fountains at the boating area, a theme park, an amusement park, and an anchor cafe, where one could read and enjoy other facilities. The existing infrastructure will be strengthened – the outer ring road, Restaurant, Bar, and boating facilities will be upgraded and it will be a fully equipped Wi-Fi zone.
Talking about the tourism and hospitality prospects of Karnal, Col. Manbeer Choudhary (Veteran), President Hotel and Restaurant Assn of Haryana (HRAH), Ex-President FHRAI and CMD, Noormahal Palace Hotel, Delhi NCR said, “We are thankful to the Chief Minister for guiding the city’s growth. The economic growth trajectory of MSME in Haryana is trying to get back on its feet, especially the Hospitality industry post-pandemic. The careful and thoughtful initiatives of the India and Haryana Government would help the Hospitality sector to heal and progress on the growth path. Karnal and Kurukshetra have a lot to offer from a tourism, culture, and heritage point of view. The government’s keen interest in encouraging and developing Karnal as a smart city and a preferred international tourism hub would contribute tremendously to India’s tourism brand equity.”
The National Committee of Ministry of Tourism GOI on Krishna Circuit has identified 12 destinations for development under Krishna Circuit, namely, Dwarka (Gujarat); Nathdwara, Jaipur & Sikar (Rajasthan), Karnal- Kurukshetra (Haryana), Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon & Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha) and the concerned State Governments were advised to submit proposals for these destinations. Projects under the scheme are sanctioned to improve the connectivity and infrastructure of tourism destinations to enrich the overall tourist experience and enhance employment.
Overall, 15 thematic circuits have been identified for development including themes covering all the religious/spiritual in the country.
With the successful completion of the prestigious Krishna circuit project-I, the Haryana state government is now working on Krishna circuit project II to take domestic as well as inbound tourism to newer heights. Kurukshetra and Karnal have a rich legacy of heritage and are fast emerging as the top-rated tourist attractions in the world.
In its endeavour to attract domestic and international tourists at a large scale, Karnal Smart City Limited (KSCL), a special purpose vehicle looking after the Smart City project, is also developing a heritage corridor on a stretch of around 4 km between Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Dwar near Baldi Bypass and Clock Tower Chowk in the city. This will not only add economic value to local communities but will also help facelift Karnal’s rich cultural legacy along with preserving heritage.
