NGO to start adventure sport facility at Damdama complex next week

GURGAON: The Haryana Tourism Department has selected a city-based NGO for its ambitious adventure camp at their Damdama Tourist Complex.
The NGO, Adventure and Allied Activity Academy, has been issued the official letter by the department and will begin operations from Friday.
Tourists can avail themselves of adventure facilities like rock climbing, trekking, cycling, jeep safari, etc starting this weekend.
“We plan to include water sports starting September 1 since we have to put in funds for the purchase of equipment. The plan is to purchase one boat each for kayaking, canoeing, rowing and speed boating,” explained Sanjay Kumar Dutta, general secretary of the NGO. However, according to Balraj Yadav, the NGO president, the cost of these boats is high and it is rather discouraging that the contract is for an initial period of six months (including July).
“Our aim is to earn sustainable profits so that we can train underprivileged children interested in these national-level sports for free,” said Yadav.
When asked if the NGO required any special permission to host ballooning, Dutta said it was only above a height of 3,000ft that permission for ballooning was necessary. “We will not fly it more that 300ft,” said Dutta.
Meanwhile, a tourism official confirmed that the NGO will have to pay Rs 45,000 for the six-month period to set up all these adventure activities.