Jammu, 07 August (H.S.): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated a 'waste to wonder' park in Jammu and said it would emerge as a major tourist attraction, further asserting that his government is working to tap the tourism potential of every region in the UT.

Speaking after inaugurating the park here, Abdullah said Jammu, traditionally known as the city of temples, needed to offer visitors more attractions beyond religious tourism.

Omar said he was delighted to inaugurate the new waste to wonder park, describing it as a unique addition to Jammu's tourism landscape.

As I said in my address, Jammu is known as the city of temples. People generally come here to pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and visit temples. But at the same time, they also want to see tourist attractions that are unique and not available elsewhere, he told reporters here.

The chief minister said the waste to wonder park, developed on land that was used as a garbage dumping site until two years ago, has now been transformed into a unique tourism asset.

The park features replicas of 14 iconic monuments from across the world, including the White House, the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, Bhutan's Tiger's Nest Monastery, the Statue of Unity, Hawa Mahal, Agra Fort, the Chenab Rail Bridge and the Taj Mahal. It also has children's play areas, a small lake with pedal boats and food stalls serving local cuisine, including rajma-chawal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar