On Jaitapur and Alphonso

Unrest in Alphonso land | GroundReport

Grown
mainly in the narrow strip of land between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea in the scenic Konkan region of India, the Alphonso mangoes
are considered king among the several varieties that flood the market
during the mango season. Known for their delectable flavour, richness of
meaty texture and sweetness they are coveted all over the world. In
2007, the US traded off the restrictions for its imports against export
of Harley Davidsons to the burgeoning Indian market. It is this Alphonso
land that is seemingly is today in a state of war...........................

(http://www.groundreport.com/World/Unrest-in-Alphonso-land/2938894)

MTDC turns to marine tourism to up profits. Corals

MTDC turns to marine tourism to up profits
30 April 2009, TOI, Chitra Nair

          Pune: Adventure lovers have a new destination: Sindhudurg. For those planning a visit to the Konkan coast can now look forward to some scuba diving activity. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has initiated a scuba diving project on the Konkan coast under its coastal and marine tourism programme.
          Manager of adventure sports, MTDC, Subodh Kinalekar says, “The snorkeling activity started in 2007 has generated tremendous response with almost 40,000 to 50,000 tourists so far. We have earned approximately Rs. 20 lakh so far. The next step is to start scuba diving by October this year,” he says. Besides, the MTDC also plans to explore the rich marine life of Konkan coast by initiating marine tourism project that will create awareness about nature conservation. “The Sindhudurg fort is surrounded by some old coral reefs that are approximately 400-500 years old. The area also has beautiful sargassum forest,” said Sarang Kulkarni, a marine biologist, who has been appointed by the MTDC as an advisor for the project. Most of these corals are in shallow water and so doing not need advanced training or equipment. “There is no need to travel abroad when you get to snorkel and see some beautiful underwater sites so close to Mumbai that too at reasonable rates. We have trained local people as snorkeling guides and we can proudly say they are amongst the best in the country,” says Kulkarni who adds that the project is also generating employment for the local people.
          The MTDC is also exploring new ideas in terms of marine tourism including whale watch, sports fishing and also a sea world. “Sports fishing is for those who want to catch fish and eat it too. The advantage is that people will catch only as many fish as they need,” adds Kulkarni.Other projects include a beach rescue project and a turtle interpretation centre.  
(ref: http://envis.maharashtra.gov.in/envis_data/files/news/apr/ecotourism.html)

News on 'Angria Bank' the submerged coral reef atoll of konkan coast

Mah govt plans to explore tourism potential of 'Angria Bank'
Mumbai | Wednesday, Mar 19 2008 IST

Maharashtra Government has decided to take a lead in detailed exploration of 'Angria bank', a submerged plateau that exists around 120 km west of Vijaydurg, Ratnagiri and Malvan in Konkan region.

Finance Minister Jayant Patil, while presenting his budget proposals for 2008-09 in the Legislative assembly, said the submerged island may have potential to change the perspective of tourism not only in Maharashtra, but also in India.

The plateau has average depth of 20 metres and considering other factors, like its distance from the mainland and other oceanic conditions, it is expected that the water in the plateau would be crystal clear and it is suitable for extensive coral reef growth and it may also provide habitat for variety of fishes, which would make this site best among other Indian diving destinations.

The bathymetric chart suggest that it is 39 km in length and 17 km Wide, with 20 metres as an average depth. If further exploration yields positive results then the Maharashtra coastline may have India's largest submerged reef/island, which will have positive influence on coastal and marine tourism sector and it could be a great diving destination for domestic and international tourists.

He said that after further exploration of 'Angria Bank' and biodiversity assessment, there would be need of conducting feasibility study to establish it as a tourism destination.

Mr Patil also said that after exploration and feasibility, the state government will submit the detailed proposal to the centre to bring 'Angria Bank' under its jurisdiction so that the state government can manage the area due to its high biological diversity and also market it as its own tourism destination. An outlay of Rs five crore would be made available for this purpose.