HP’s Tourism and Civil Aviation Director Yunus said here on Wednesday that the State Government has notified additional sites for paragliding and river rafting in order to boost adventure tourism activities in the state.

He said that now tourists visiting the state could experience paragliding at new sites in the districts of Kullu, Kangra, Mandi, Chamba, and Shimla. Under ‘Nai Raahein Nai Manzilein’ scheme, the possibilities are also being explored for promotion of adventure sports activities in hitherto unexplored areas of the state.

Director said that the new notified paragliding sites include Pandhara to Gadsa and Khargan to Nangabag in district Kullu, Tang Narwana to Khirku in Kangra district, Darouta to Lahra (Khajjiar) and Lahra to Darol and Raina to Nainikhad Jarei in Chamba district. He further said that in district Mandi the paragliding sites notified includes Prashar and Spenidhar and in Shimla district, the notified paragliding site is Tikkar, Junga to Chauri/Junga.

Yunus said that for the promotion of water sports new site for river rafting on river Beas from Nadaun to Dehra Bridge has also been notified.

He said that for the safety of paragliding pilots and tourists, the Department of Tourism in collaboration with Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali has taken the initiative to provide training courses to paragliding pilots, which includes SIV course, a safety training course for Tandem paragliding pilots.

The Director said that in last two years an expenditure of approximately Rs two crore have been incurred on imparting training courses to 749 persons which includes basic mountaineering course, paragliding course, basic, intermediate and advance skiing course including SIV course for providing training to locals from these newly identified areas. In addition to these new notified sites, there are many other notified sites available where paragliding is being done by adventure enthusiasts. These sites includes Bir- Billing, Chohla Indru Nag near Dharamshala in Kangra district, Solang Nalah, Marhi, Talaiti-Talogi, Majach-Shanag in Kullu district, Mauja Rehad to Karganoo in Solan district, Ser Jagaas in Sirmaur district. Besides, this notified river rafting sites includes Shamshi to Jehri and Babeli to Pirdi in Kullu district, Luhri to Tattapani in Shimla district, Darch to Jispa and Kaza Bridge to Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti.

He said the focus of the department is to promote unexplored areas of other potential districts along with the provision of training.