Interestingly 72% of the amusement facilities in India are water-based with currently 47 amusement parks operational in different pats of the country like Cochin, Madras, Bangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad where daily attendance ranges from 4,500 to 5,000 during the summer.

While Pune has yet to see a full-fledged water park of such dimensions the few fledgling enterprises centered around water are all set to cater for the inevitable summer rush. The Baron Lakeside Resort at Panshet is the closest one has to a water park in Pune with its speed boats, paddle boats, water scooters and a floating restaurant. Located at Panshet dam, the resort plays host to over 500 visitors during the peak seasons of May-June.

On the same side is also the Manas lake with boating and rides facilities that see hordes of picnikers trooping there on Sundays which is the one day for brisk business at the restaurant atop the hill too. Recognising the potential of water-based activities, most private builders have decided to cash on to this aspect to lure more clients towards their projects. Thus we have the Ganga Resorts with their twin spiral slides and boating facilities open to Puneites all through the year. ``But the most popular ones remain the pool and its slides and the boating,'' adds Tina Nair, a spokesperson of the resort.

Taking this as the cue probably we now have the Splendour Country coming up with what they advertise as the first three-tiered swimming pool of the country being constructed by Astral from Germany. ``This is the first in India where on the topmost level there will be a jacuzzi and a children's swimming pool with a water slide that will take you to the second level comprising the main swimming pool. From here a waterfall which is like a water curtain leads to the third stage which is of the health spa that uses hydrotherapy with water jets spraying on the body. The latter in fact is the first of its kind in Asia,'' explains Colonel (retd) A R Ganpati, general manager Sumix Club and Resorts Pvt. Ltd. ``Pune it seems is getting ready for the concept of water-based amusement parks that will incorporate snazzy rides, multiple spiral slides, wave actions and water jets,'' emphasises Goutam Malhotra, a project executive in Dubai whose company is managing the India Water World Expo the country's first internationaltrade exhibition on water park facilities to be held in Mumbai in May where many Pune companies are slated to participate. ``Competition amongst owners is leading them to look for new thrills and untapped venues for expanding their network,'' he adds. Is Pune getting all set to make waves in the water world too? If so, it's a cool scene, man!