Paragliding and rafting resumes in Kullu

Activities like river rafting and paragliding has resumed in Kullu, much to the delight of adventure lovers and hoteliers. And with this move of Kullu administration, it is expected that the tourist footfall in this region will rise sharply. The said activities were banned during the monsoon season.
The activities were banned by the administration for the sake of tourists’ safety during the time period of July 16 to September 15. During monsoon, flooding rivers, and high velocity of winds make these sports extremely dangerous, and hence they were banned.

However, the adventure sports despite being very popular in this region have always been facing issues, as there is no foolproof action plan to keep a check on the mushrooming operators, who are interested in making quick bucks, and don’t bother to develop adventure sports in a sustainable way.
As per the sources, there are operators who do not follow proper safety procedures; while some operate outdated paragliders and harnesses, some even go ahead with two children at a time. Also, rafting leads to many accidents as it is done without any rescue boats, leading to many mishaps.
An official in the know-how added that this problem can be partly solved by spreading awareness, and if tourists only opted for government-approved places. He further added that the operators are required to have a valid licence to fly or operate rafting; and all equipment should be inspected by a committee.

Also, this will be for the first time that the Kullu police have warned rafting and paragliding operators that conducting these sports illegally will be booked under non-bailable sections.