Mumbai, July 2026: The Honourable Minister of Tourism of Maharashtra, Shambhuraj Desai, has directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination to ensure the timely completion of the Munawale Aqua Tourism Project, describing it as one of the Maharashtra Government's flagship tourism initiatives and a key project being closely monitored by the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde.

The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Shambhuraj Desai, chaired a detailed review meeting on the project at Vidhan Bhavan, with Honourable Minister of Public Works of Maharashtra Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale also present. The project is expected to give a real boost to tourism in the Satara district and generate significant employment for people in the area. More broadly, it's meant to strengthen Maharashtra's water tourism sector and help position Satara as one of the state's top aqua tourism destinations.

Much of the discussion centred on turning the Munawale (Shivsagar Reservoir) area into a world-class aqua tourism hub. Officials pointed out that the region's natural landscape and water resources give it strong potential for sustainable tourism.

The meeting went through the project's master plan, pending approvals, infrastructure needs and the roadmap ahead. The Honourable Minister of Tourism told departments to obtain all administrative approvals and statutory clearances within the set timeframe, and emphasised the need for careful planning and smooth coordination across departments at every stage.

The plan includes world-class aquatourism facilities around the Koyna reservoir, such as boating, water sports, tourist facilitation centres, and other visitor amenities. Under the revised administrative approval, the project's cost has now gone up to over ₹92 crore. Officials said approvals from the various departments involved are nearly finalised.

Tourism development at Pratapgad Fort also came up for review. The meeting gave in-principle approval for a grand memorial featuring a full-length statue of Veer Jivaji Mahale, the brave bodyguard of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Officials were told to identify suitable land and finalise the proposal on priority.

Those present at the meeting included Mr Sanjay Khandare (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism), Government of Maharashtra, Mr Mangesh Joshi (IAS); Director, Directorate of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra; Mr Santosh Rokade, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra; Mr Vijay Powar, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra along with senior officials from the Forest Department, Water Resources Department and other concerned departments. Honourable Minister of Tourism reiterated that all departments must work closely together to expedite both the Munawale Aqua Tourism Project and the tourism initiatives at Pratapgad Fort.