Beas in spate, river rafting banned

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Kullu, July 11

As the Beas is in spate, the district administration has stopped water sport activity in Beas and its tributaries in the region.

The district administration has also sounded alert for the people of the district as well as tourists to avoid approaching the riverside for recreation, which may prove disastrous. The district was receiving heavy rain in upper and lower regions for the past couple of days, which has increased the volume of water in river drastically.

Deputy Commissioner Kullu Yunus Khan issued directions to stop river rafting with immediate effect, which may prove a risky affair for adventure sport lover. However, paragliding continues in the region for the time being.

Advent of early monsoon has proved a boon for stakeholders, who find it a good opportunity to mint money during tourist season. A large number of tourists, especially couples, prefer river rafting.

According to district tourism officer, 160 (approx) river rafts are registered with the department and the services are provided at three notified stretches of the Beas between Raisan and Jhiri. The Tourism Department has fixed charges of river rafting between Rs 600 and Rs 1,400 per person depending on the distance covered from 4 km to 14 km, while during peak tourist season the operators charge more.

Talking to The Tribune here today, district tourism officer Ratan Gautam said that from July 14 onward up to September 15, paragliding and river rafting will be banned completely in view of public safety. He added that with the advent of monsoon in the state, the volume of river water has increased dramatically, which may pose threat to the lives of the people.

Deputy Commissioner Kullu Yunus Khan said that the river rafting has been banned, while officials of Tourism Department have been directed to keep close vigil over paragliding activity and stop it if needed as per weather conditions. He said that violators would be dealt with strictly.