Due to continuous heavy rainfall, the Kullu Tourism Department has suspended all paragliding and rafting activities from July 15 until further notice. The decision was announced by Executive District Tourism Development Officer Chiranji Lal, following a meeting of the Aerosports Technical Committee held on July 14. The meeting was chaired by the Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports.
The suspension was recommended because of ongoing fog, heavy rain, and rising river levels during the monsoon. These conditions make activities like rafting and paragliding risky.
This move is also part of the Tourism Department’s annual seasonal ban in Kullu, which is enforced from July 15 to September 15 every year. During this time, adventure activities that will be halted are rafting, kayaking, river crossings, zip lining, rappelling, paragliding, hot-air ballooning and other aero sports
However, low-risk activities such as trekking, rock climbing, zorbing, rolling balls, bungee jumping, ATV rides, and mountain biking will continue.
To ensure safety, a technical committee regularly inspects adventure equipment, checks the qualifications of guides, and makes sure all operators are licensed and insured.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against the pilot after the death of a Gujarat tourist during an illegal paragliding flight near Bangotu, close to the Indunag take-off site in Dharamsala on July 13. A 25-year-old tourist, Satish Rajesh Bhai from Ahmedabad, had died in the incident.
The case was registered under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for negligence at the Dharamsala police station. Suraj is currently receiving treatment and is out of danger.
The paragliding where the activity took place has not been notified yet. Although an FIR has been registered against the pilot, locals are upset that the illegal operators behind these unregulated flights have not been named in the case. People from the are expressed serious concerns over inaction and stressed that such adventure activities must strictly follow safety norms and have official permission.
Vinay Dhiman, the District Tourism Development Officer, confirmed that this was a clear violation of the Himachal Pradesh Aero Sports Rules, 2022, and the Tourism Development and Registration Act, 2002. He said strict action will be taken against both the pilot and the operator involved.
A magistrate has been appointed to lead the investigation and will soon visit the accident site to look into safety violations and other irregularities.
SP Kangra Shalini Agnihotri said police are reviewing the technical aspects of the case, and appropriate action will be taken against those found responsible.
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