Water Sports Like Paragliding, River Rafting Now Banned In Rishikesh And All Over Uttarakhand

We’re unfortunately the bearers of bad and shocking news this time. If you’re particularly keen on river rafting and other popular water sports and were planning to head over to Uttarakhand for the same, then you should pay particular attention to this one. Here goes!

Water Sports Banned In Uttarakhand! | The Uttarakhand Government has banned water sports like river rafting in the state. Yep, that’s a shocker! All these adventure activities will be banned until the government comes up with a policy and appropriate legislation to regulate them. The idea is to safeguard the environment and also the people who undertake these activities. 

We all know how popular Uttarakhand is when it comes to such adventure activities. In the past, umpteen number of sports companies have mushroomed in the state offering these adrenaline-rush inducing activities. Imagine the effect this decision has had on these companies and on the entire tourism industry of the state, which runs on the foundation of these sports. White water rafting in the state employs about 5,000 to 7,000 people, who’re currently affected by the court’s decision.

The ban came after a PIL was filed by an activist, and the court has now allotted a two-week period to the government to come up with transparent and suitable legislation governing these activities and also the people who facilitate them.

The court noticed that people were actually organising picnics on the boats and dumping waste in the river water, thereby compromising the sanctity of the river. Also, the river bed area was being leased out to companies on a temporary basis, all of which contributed to the pollution of the environment and ecology of the river.

So Delhiites, if you were planning a trip to Uttarakhand, you now know that you can’t try water sports there for some time at least. While we’re happy that the court is thinking about the environmental effects of misusing the river, we’re still a tad bit sad about the games being banned. Here’s hoping that the ban is lifted soon!

Sourced Via Hindustan Times