PANJIM: Having its only campus in India off Caranzalem beach, National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) is still dragging its feet on completing the building, campus and related infrastructure to commence operations.
After sanction from the Union Tourism Ministry, Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) had tendered the construction work at an estimated cost of Rs 39.59 crore in 2013 to Mumbai-based firm Kimiya Engineers Pvt Ltd.
According to the GSIDC website construction work commenced in February 2014 and was supposed to be completed in May 2016. However, GSIDC said that only 55% of the work has been completed.
GSIDC officials told Herald that construction of the building will be completed by the year end. “We have set our target to complete the construction by December 2016, however, there may be a delay if any changes in plans are proposed,” GSIDC Manager Sandip Prabhu Chodnekar said. He said only the roof, which will be artistic in nature, is pending because of the monsoon.
NIWS had already announced courses like MBA (Tourism & Leisure) and BBA (Tourism & Travel) for the academic year 2016. While the NIWS nodal officer stationed at Altinho was not contactable, staff said the courses will be held at Government Polytechnic College, Altinho for four months and then shifted to the campus at Caranzalem.
NIWS, an autonomous body, was constituted in 1990 by the Tourism Ministry on 16.5 acres of beach side property in Caranzalem. It is considered as a first institute of its kind in the South East Asia.
The Institute is the apex body for water sports in India and the nodal agency for training, consultancy, development, regulation, framing safety norms, bench-marking and promotion of water sports. The activities range from advising state government agencies and private entrepreneurs on safety norms, preparation of feasibility studies, organizing water sports awareness and water safety campaigns, inspection and certification of water sports centres to training on water sports disciplines. A training program namely ‘Sea Rescue Squad’ has also been introduced by the institute.
