The first-ever Tawi Boating Festival concluded on Thursday at the Artificial Lake developed under the Jammu Smart City project, marking a significant step towards revitalising the Tawi Riverfront and boosting urban tourism in the winter capital.
The two-day festival held for the first time in the heart of the city introduced boating activities on the Tawi and drew large crowds of residents, families and visitors.
Member Legislative Assembly Bahu, Vikram Randhawa was present on the concluding day.
Around 4,000 to 5,000 people availed boating facilities during the two-day festival.
The initiative received an enthusiastic response, underlining the growing demand for organised recreational spaces in Jammu.
Many visitors described the riverfront as a long-awaited addition to the city’s social and tourism landscape, with the area emerging as a new hub for leisure and community engagement.
Jammu Municipal Corporation Commissioner and CEO of Jammu Smart City Limited, Dr Devansh Yadav said the festival has successfully met its objectives. “The overwhelming public response shows the vision behind rejuvenating the Tawi riverfront. This project aims to create vibrant, safe and accessible public spaces for citizens,” he said.
“The festival helped us test boating operations and safety mechanisms and based on the experience, we will soon float tenders to start regular boating and allied recreational activities on a permanent basis engaging local tourism entrepreneurs,” he added.
Adequate safety arrangements were made during the festival, including trained personnel, life jackets and rescue infrastructure, to ensure smooth and secure operations.
The riverfront remained lively throughout the event, with illuminated embankments, cultural performances by local bands and stalls offering traditional Dogra cuisine.
The Irrigation & Flood Control department has played a crucial role in the project by achieving water pondage through Tawi barrage at the site.
Meanwhile, in a powerful continuation of the 77th Republic Day celebrations, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) organized a massive human chain across the Tawi Bridge and River Front.
The event was held under the banner of Swachhtantara 2.0, a flagship initiative aimed at weaving the spirit of patriotism with environmental stewardship, directly supporting the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U) 2.0.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, hundreds of citizens, students and sanitation warriors created a human wall to protect the "Surya Putri" Tawi, the lifeline of Jammu. This assembly served as a loud and clear declaration that the community is ready to take ownership of its natural heritage.
Additional CEO of Jammu Smart City Limited Subha Mehta along with senior officials from JSCL, Jammu Municipal Corporation and the J&K Irrigation and Flood Control Department, were present during the festival. Senior General Manager (Civil) JSCL Rajesh Abrol, AEE Akhil Samyal and Junior Engineer Sachin Sawhney also attended the event.