Himachal Govt mulls action against illegal paragliding schools

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, October 22

After the death of Abhyudaya, a trainee pilot who lost his life when his glider crashed near Billing yesterday, the functioning of several illegal paragliding training schools have come under scanner.

Abhyudaya was learning paragliding at one such school, which had created a website on Internet to attract the youths for paragliding. As per the rules, no one can run a paragliding school without the approval of the state government or the Tourism Department.

Guidelines not enforced

• Though the Tourism Department has laid down rules and guidelines for paragliding, these are hardly followed. Checking is done only when reports of illegal flying or mishaps are reported
• During a visit to Billing, it was found that officials of the state government, who had been supervising the paragliding activities, were not much concerned about the rules
• There was nobody to check the documents and insurance covers of pilots, first-aid kits, speedometers and compasses

State agencies have come under scanner following rising paragliding mishaps at Bir-Billing. In the past five years, over 24 gliders have crashed at different places in Kangra and adjoining Mandi districts killing 20 pilots, including foreigners. Several organisations and victims’ kin have demanded a complete ban on paragliding till proper rules are incorporated and separate agencies constituted by the state government to implement the same.

Though the Tourism Department has laid down rules and guidelines, these are hardly followed. Checking is done only when reports of illegal flying or mishaps are published. As per the Aero Space Rules laid down in 2004, the state government has made it mandatory to have a licence for pilots and they must carry an internationally homologated designed parachute with a helmet, two-way radio communication system with instrument panel, altimeter, barometer and compass with speed indicator and two first-aid kits.

Besides, there should be ground support with a retrieval vehicle, insurance cover for two persons in tandem flights and insurance support for arranging helicopters in case of emergency.

Gurpreet Dhindsa, an instructor at Billing, said the deceased pilot was under his training for the past two years and he was a fully trained pilot. He said he was a qualified instructor for the past 20 years and imparting paragliding training. “In Himachal, there are no rules for the registration of paragliding schools. Therefore he failed to get his school registered,” Dhindsa said.

Baijnath DSP Puran Chand said the police would take action against all illegal paragliding schools at Bir-Billing, which have been luring the youth from the country by uploading the impressive pictures of paragliders in high sky. He said it was a serious matter, which was leading to fatal mishaps bringing a bad name to this adventurous sport.

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