Lack of standby copter proving fatal in Himachal paragliding accidents

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, October 31

Though paragliding has propelled Himachal’s Kangra, particularly top 10-ranked Bir Billing, to the global map of adventure sports, the risk to pilots remains high here due to the lack of immediate rescue infrastructure.

Rescue time: 40 mins abroad, 24 hrs here

• Maximum time to start a rescue op is 40 minutes in Europe
• The process, however, may take up to 24 hours in India
• A pilot from Lucknow and another from Poland died in Kangra accidents recently

Those associated with the sport said a standby helicopter fitted with a winch is mandatory for paragliding events, so as to rescue a pilot in the event of a tragedy. But, Bir Billing doesn’t have this facility.

While the maximum time to initiate a rescue operation is about 40 minutes in Europe, the process may take up to 24 hours in India, said sources. Pilots from abroad visiting Kangra for paragliding come equipped with an insurance cover. Whenever a pilot meets with an accident, the insurance company is contacted by the authorities in Baijnath.

The foreign insurance company, said the sources, usually takes three to four hours to respond. “After the go-ahead, helicopter companies, based out of Delhi and Dehradun, are contacted. A helicopter takes two to three hours to reach Bir Billing. By then, it usually gets dark and the rescue is put off for the next day. As time is crucial in case of grievous injuries, the fatalities in Bir Billing are high compared to paragliding sites in developed countries,” said an official.

A young pilot from Lucknow, Abhyudya, and 70-year-old Andrzej Kulawik (70) from Poland were killed in recent accidents. District Tourism Officer Vinay Dhiman said for events like the Pre-World Cup, organised under the aegis of the state government, helicopter rescue service is provided. “But solo pilots have to take their own insurance policy. They have to fill forms with the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) that they are flying at their own risk,” he said. Abhyudya and Andrzej were solo pilots and were not participating in the Pre-World Cup due to which they could not be provided the helicopter rescue service, said Dhiman.

SADA, which controls paragliding, provides each pilot a tracker. “These trackers get signal from multiple telecom firms. These are tracked on a monitor lying at the SADA headquarters in Bir. In case any paraglider starts descending at a dangerous speed exceeding 5 metres per second, the monitor starts blinking in red,” said a SADA official.

He admitted that the non-availability of a helicopter at short notice often delayed the rescue, leading to fatalities.

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