21 of 25 Idukki adventure centres lack licence

Idukki: The Idukki district administration has got into action after a govt report revealed that 21 out of the 25 adventure tourism centres functioning in the hill district do not have even a panchayat-level approval. The administration has appointed a special committee to examine the safety systems and legal documents of these centres.Even activities such as paragliding and zipline at Vagamon Adventure Park, which operates under the district tourism promotion council (DTPC), reportedly lack mandatory approvals. The district administration initiated a probe into the centres after five tourists and a service staffer were stuck for one-and-a-half hours at a newly opened sky dining facility at Anachal in Munnar last Nov.The special committee, constituted by district collector Dineshan Cheruvat, includes disaster management authority deputy collector, a PWD executive engineer, tourism deputy director and DTPC secretary among others. Action will be taken based on the committee's report, the collector said.Several adventure tourism centres have sprung up across the district over the past two years. Among them, the zipline at Anachal in Eetti City has only tourism department clearance. Meanwhile, only select attractions — hot air balloon, adventure park and rollercoaster at Chunakkal — have obtained approval from the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Council. Hundreds visit these adventure tourism destinations daily.