imagine a luxury cruise or a relaxed weekend amid nature at a plush hotel in the sunderbans earlier mamata had led a delegation of industrialists to sagar islands to explore opportunities to develop it as a tourism centre jharkhali has a mangrove ecological garden that attracts tourists the sunderbans one of the largest remaining mangroves areas in the world has exceptional biodiversity in terrestrial and marine environments it is home to a significant population of the globally endangered royal bengal tiger the 750metre bridge is expected to come up as an iconic structure and boost connectivity across the region say officials after sagar islands chief minister mamata banerjee will lead a delegation of industry leaders on a threeday tour to the mangrove islands next week to attract investment for tourism and improve transport infrastructure at the sunderbans a unescoworld heritage site it is easy to reach dobanki sajnekhali or sudhanyakhali from here jharkhali has the potential to become the nerve centre of the proposed organized tourism industry in this region kolkata tourists can proceed to various places of interest from jharkhali and finally return to the base camp here for a comprehensive experience explained a senior official during the visit mamata will inaugurate the mathurapurpatharpratima bridge the chief minister is keen to develop jharkhali as a gateway to the sundarbans said an official the area is known for its wide range of fauna including 260 bird species the royal bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the indian python tourism players can develop jharkhali as a base camp for a holistic tour of the sunderbans said a source she will also inaugurate a tiger rescue centre at jharkhali and lay the foundation stone for tourism facilities the chief minister sources said wants to explore possibilities of developing inland waterways transportation including cruises which will offer worldclass experience to tourists from across the globe mamata will be accompanied by a delegation comprising heads of hospitality companies with a national footprint and senior members of various chambers of commerce several industrialists have been roped in and work is in progress it includes a complex network of tidal waterways mudflats and small islands of salttolerant mangrove forests the government will also explore opportunities for joint ventures through the publicprivate partnership ppp route for tourism and transport say sources