“Projecting Udvada”

The news of a grant of about one crore rupees from the Central Government and twenty five lakhs from the Gujarat Government for the development of Udvada as a pilgrim-cum-tourist center (pavitra yatra dham) is most welcome ("Projecting Udvada,” Parsiana, February 2003). A core group of seven members has been formed with Dinshaw Tamboly, trustee, Bombay Parsi Puncha­yet (BPP), as president. Two leading members of the community who are also BPP trustees, two eminent social workers from Bombay, Jehangir Cama of the Cama group of Hotels and P. K. Laheri, commissioner of tourism, Gandhinagar are the other members of the core group.

A glaring omission is a representative from Udvada. Vada Dastur Khurshed Kekobad Dastoor would be a good choice.

The project has envisaged interesting programs like the establishment of a museum, a cultural center, a tourist lodge and a heritage walk; organizing an annual festival in the town and also a tourist circuit following the path of Shri Iranshah from Sanjan-Bahrot caves to Udvada. But a cultural center without a regular supply of electricity and water (as is the case now) would not be a successful venture.

The main road from the station to the town is in need of immediate repairs too.

A museum and a tourist lodge are already managed by the Youth Wing of the World Zoroastrian Organisation. A heritage walk would have little to offer to the tourists and devotees except for the ruin of the palace of the Raja of Mandvi and the site of the first fire-temple of 1742. Cleanliness leaves much to be desired as the streets and the beach are littered with garbage. The beautiful beach resort of Devka maintained in a spic and span condition should serve as an example. The Udvada shore is used by the villagers for the purpose of ablution in the absence of toilet facilities. Sanitation should be improved to attract tourists. The annual festival may be combined with Sanjan Day.

Udvada: lacks greenery

Above all, the menace of advancing sea encroaching upon the houses on the sea-front with the attendant problem of salinity intrusion rendering well-water brackish needs priority. Cities of historical, religious and cultural importance like Dwarka and Poompuhar now lying submerged under seas serve as eye-openers, reminding us of the urgent need for remedial measures. Taking note of these problems, Laheri assures the Save Udvada Trust founded by the late Homi Taleyarkhan that the Ministry of Water Resources would be finalizing a suitable program in consultation with Dr Zal S. Tarapore, former director, Central Water and Power Research Station, Poona.

Udvada lacks greenery. The low-lying land extending from north of the Gymkhana up to the backyard of Shri Iranshah gets flooded by creek water at high tides and also by rain-water and remains a wasteland. The land can be planted with a suitable salt-tolerant species like Salvadora (Pilu in Gujarati). The tree has economic value too. After it is stabilized the beach can be beautified as a park with decorative species.

Unfortunately, the grant received from the Government ignores environmental aspects. Hence this appeal for funds. Your generous donation by way of a cheque in favor of the "Save Udvada Trust” may be addressed to the Co-Chairman and Treasurer B. H. Balda­wala, 6/5 Spenta, B. G. Kher Marg, Malabar Hill, Bombay 400006. Donations are subject to exemption under Section 80 G of the Income-tax Act.

Dr. V. M. MEHER-HOMJI