Uttarakhand HC puts river rafting on hold, job losses feared

NAINITAL/DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has banned white water rafting and paragliding until the state government frames a policy on adventure sports, a move which those in the business say will hit them hard. Underlining the need to regulate adventure sports, a division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh in a recent order directed the state government to prepare a transparent policy within two weeks. Till such a policy is framed, no paragliding, white water rafting and other water sports shall be permitted in Uttarakhand, the court said. Former Rafting Association of Uttarakhand president Devendra Rawat said river rafting has generated jobs for about 40,000 people, almost ending migration from many areas along the Ganga in Garhwal region's Tehri and Pauri districts.