Watch: Uttarakhand CM Dhami Takes Jet Ski Ride at Tehri Lake After Inaugurating Himalayan O₂ Festival

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Himalayan O₂ – The Tehri Lake Festival on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Tehri Lake, marking a vibrant celebration of adventure, tourism, culture, and environmental awareness in the Himalayan state.

Following the inauguration, the Chief Minister took a jet ski ride on the scenic Tehri Lake, symbolizing the growing emphasis on water-based adventure sports in the region.

In his address at the event, Dhami expressed strong confidence in Tehri Lake's future. 

"The beautiful Tehri Lake will emerge not only as a national but also as a global hub for adventure sports and tourism in the coming years," he said.

Welcoming athletes and guests from across India and abroad, he highlighted Uttarakhand's unique blend of spirituality and folk culture. 

"Our rivers, mountains, lakes, and traditions have consistently attracted people from around the world. Carrying forward this legacy, the festival organised on the banks of Tehri Lake is an important initiative to bring tourism, sports, and local culture together on a single platform," Dhami stated.

He described Tehri Lake as a stunning example of natural beauty that is rapidly becoming a major destination for adventure sports. 

"The national and international water sports competitions held here are not only allowing athletes to showcase their talent but are also helping Uttarakhand gain a new identity on the global sports map," he added.

The Chief Minister outlined his government's vision to position Tehri as a premier hub for water and adventure activities, including kayaking, canoeing, jet skiing, parasailing, scuba diving, and more. He noted the development of modern training facilities to empower young athletes from the state to excel in national and international competitions, while creating self-employment and economic opportunities for local residents.

Dhami emphasized transforming Tehri Lake into a global centre where sports, culture, and nature converge, assuring continued government efforts toward this goal.

He also announced the construction of the Koti Colony-New Tehri ropeway to boost connectivity and tourism in the area.

During the program, the Chief Minister virtually laid the foundation stone for the Koti-Dobra tourism road, a project funded by the Asian Development Bank at a cost of Rs 318 crore and spanning approximately 15 kilometres.

Highlighting broader initiatives, Dhami mentioned development projects worth over Rs 1300 crore underway in the Tehri region, including lake development, a ring road, transforming Timad village into a tourism village, developing Sunargaon Gram Panchayat as a model village, and constructing a new Anganwadi building in traditional hill architecture. He also pointed to environmental measures like 10 compactor centres and 4,267 waste collection centres for plastic waste management across the district.

The Chief Minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emotional connection with Uttarakhand and cited events like the high-altitude marathon at Adi Kailash, MTB Challenge at Mana, and Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy as examples of the state's push for tourism and sports.

Encouraging the youth, he shared that over 400 young people in Tehri are receiving paragliding training, expressing pride and confidence that they will place Uttarakhand on the global paragliding map.

The four-day Himalayan O₂ – The Tehri Lake Festival runs until March 9, featuring a variety of adventure sports, tourism events, cultural programs, and activities showcasing local heritage.

(With inputs from ANI)