Proposal for special towers in high mountains to spot crash sites

A proposal to install special towers in high mountains to spot crash sites is in the pipeline, said Avinash Negi, Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, on Thursday.

Days after three foreign paragliders were rescued from the higher reaches of Kullu district, Negi said there was need for more safety features to safeguard people involved in adventure sports, particularly paragliding.

The paragliders fly with a device to send distress and crash-landing alerts to the operators but the GPS-enabled devices connected with the satellite give vague locations (50 to 100 metres), which could be critical in saving lives, said Negi.

“A proposal to install special towers in high mountains to pinpoint crash sites in case of accidents is in the pipeline,” he added.

A 10-member team from the ABVIMAS had rescued three foreign paragliders, who had taken off from Bir-Billing in Kangra district on Thursday. They had lost their way due to strong winds and crash-landed in the mountains of Kullu district.