Kangra to become adventure tourism hub

Dharamshala, Mar 2 – Kangra district is being developed as an adventure tourism hub and for this purpose, the district administration is engaged in giving new flight to paragliding activities in Kangra.
Efforts are being made towards the development of all the four paragliding sites in the district and expansion of facilities there.
Deputy Commissioner Kangra Dr. Nipun Jindal said this while presiding over the meeting of District Level Paragliding Regulatory Committee held at Dharamshala on Thursday.
The Deputy Commissioner said that Chief Minister Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has a vision to develop Kangra district as a tourism capital. To make his vision come true, work is being done to promote tourism activities, especially to make the district a hub of adventure tourism.
He said that paragliding activities are an important component of adventure tourism. At present there are four paragliding sites in the district namely Bir Billing, Indrunag, Narwana and Majhin. He asked the officers to work for the development of these four paragliding sites and to increase the facilities there. He instructed to complete formalities regarding land acquisition and make cases for expansion of take-off and landing sites at these places. Also asked to do necessary improvement work at these places.
Deputy Commissioner said that paragliding school Bir Billing would start within a month. This will provide better facilities for training of paraglider pilots. At the same time, tourism will get new wings in the region. He said that Chief Minister Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu would be requested to inaugurate the paragliding school.
The Deputy Commissioner directed to set up a control room at the Billing take off site for the convenience of paragliding operators, pilots and tourists. He said that one attendant and two disaster friends will be posted in this control room equipped with modern technical information system. They will be there to provide immediate assistance and transmit information in case of any accident or emergency during paragliding. Apart from this, an ambulance of the Health Department will also be stationed there, which will also have a pharmacy.
Plastic waste management unit will be set up in Beed for 16 lakhs.
Dr. Nipun Jindal instructed to ensure cleanliness in Beed Billing area through Special Area Development Authority (SADA). He said that take-off and landing sites should be kept clean so that the people coming there do not face any problem and the environment is also safe. He said that 16 lakh plastic solid waste management units would be set up in Beed. Funds have been released for this.
He asked to strengthen the toilet facility at the take off site and make alternative arrangements till the regular supply of water and electricity starts there.
The Deputy Commissioner instructed the Chairman of SADA and SDM Baijnath to hold a meeting with the representatives of paragliding operators to assess the improvement needs of Billing Take Off Site and prepare a budget estimate for the improvement work. He said that for this funds would be provided from the corpus fund created there.
The Deputy Commissioner asked all paragliding units and operators to share information about their agreements with insurance companies. The operators were urged to share the list of companies with whom they have agreements and the mobile numbers of their nodal officers so that in case of an accident, immediate assistance from the insurance company could be provided to the affected.
The Deputy Commissioner instructed to make an alternative arrangement for temporary registration of the newly purchased glider without delay. In fact, at present, there is a system of inspection, registration and certification of gliders and other equipment by a technical committee of tourism department, mountaineering institute and other experts twice a year at an interval of 6-6 months. After inspection each glider is issued a unique identification number, only after which they can take off.
In the meeting, the paragliding operators informed that if a new glider is purchased in the period between the prescribed half yearly inspection, it has to wait for registration. On this, the Deputy Commissioner said that for the convenience of the operators, the administration will write a letter to the Director of Mountaineering Institute, Manali, to make arrangements for temporary registration. He will be requested to authorize the Regional Director of the institute’s Mcleodganj unit for temporary registration after completing all the formalities till the technical committee’s inspection.
There are 14 registered paragliding operating units in the district.
There are 14 paragliding associations or operating units, 346 pilots and 387 paragliding equipments registered in Kangra district. Paragliding associations or operational units are functional in 8 Bir Billing, 4 in Indrunag, and one each in Narwana and Majhin.
ADM Rohit Rathore, Deputy Director of Tourism Department Vinay Dhiman, SDM Baijnath Salim Azam and SDM Dharamshala Shilpi Bekta and representatives of paragliding associations or operating units across the district and officers of various departments were present in the meeting.