Catching a glimpse of the Royal Bengal tiger in the Sundarbans while the ferry takes one through the many twists and turns of the misty riverine route that surrounds this mangrove forest, means a day well spent but just to take the excitement a notch higher, soon tourists may be able to do the same thing, except that they may be able to reach the wild mangroves or the historical forts of Murshidabad from Kolkata on a seaplane.
This isn’t a dream anymore as the Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port (SMP), Kolkata is carrying out a project feasibility survey in West Bengal to chalk out some routes where seaplanes can be operated. The project is being jointly considered by the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The SMP chairman, Mr Vinit Kumar, told The Statesman that the port has been given the responsibility to carry out the surveys to determine whether some routes for seaplanes can be indeed be opened up in Bengal. He added that the port carries out hydrological studies from time to time and has the necessary equipment to carry out an extensive survey that would include measuring the depths of water level and the length of open sea channel which are vital parameters concerning the operation of a seaplane.
Source: The Statesman
