NEW DELHI: The Uttarakhand High Court has banned paragliding, and white water rafting and other water sports until the administration puts in place a policy to regulate them, the stated reason cited being safety and environmental concerns.
NDTV quotes from the High Court order that was made available on Thursday: “We are shocked to know that the state government is permitting camping sites on the river beds. It pollutes the environment and ecology of the river and the surrounding areas.
“The state government is directed to prepare the transparent policy within a period of two weeks. Till the policy is framed, no white river rafting, paragliding and other water sports shall be permitted in the state of Uttarakhand.” said.
The court also took note of the deaths caused by rafting every year due to capsizing of the rafts.
A division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Lok Pal Singh ordered the ban in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Rishikesh-based social activist Hari Om Kashyap, Hindustan Times reports.
According to Kashyap’s petition, temporary structures were being permitted to be set up on the banks of the river and rafting was being carried out by private companies in the absence of any law.
SS Chauhan, deputy advocate general representing the state government in the case, told the court that a law is in the offing.
“The state government has not pointed out precisely what is the yardstick, guidelines and parameters to sanction the lease in favour of the private parties on the river beds including for boating/rafting, paragliding and other water sports,” HT quotes from the court order.
“This can only be permitted to be managed by the highly trained professionals. The river beds cannot be leased out for a song. There has to be transparent procedure for inviting the applications after fixing the minimum rates for using the water. The state government cannot permit the use of rivers without fixing reasonable charges. The tourism must be promoted but it is required to be regulated. The sports for pleasure cannot be permitted to end in disaster”, the order further reads.
White water rafting in Uttarakhand is valued at yearly Rs700-800 million, NDTV reports. It employs approximately 10,000 people including guides, cooks, instructors and drivers.
