Women adventure sports professionals will now manage rafting services in the Rishikesh area of the Ganga River, traditionally dominated by male rafters. The state tourism department has trained a group of young women professionals, equipping them with the necessary resources to regulate rafting activities in Rishikesh.
The state tourism department has trained 14 women as white water river rafting guides under its special scheme aimed at making them self-reliant. Department officials said that the trained women rafters will now be registered as official representatives to regulate rafting activities on the Ganga River.
According to the officials, the trained women professional rafting guides on the Ganga River will pursue this as a career, fostering self-dependence. The upper Rishikesh area has emerged as a major centre for rafting, attracting over five lakh tourists annually. Rafting, as an adventure sport, has become a major source of business and employment for youths in the region, currently managed entirely by men.
Significantly, training women professionals as rafting guides is part of a special scheme initiated by the state tourism department on the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. A three-month free training programme was conducted from April to June 2024 for a select group of 14 women, who will now pursue this as their career.
“It’s a great opportunity for young girls like us to translate our skills into a career. This will encourage more girls to come forward and take up adventure sports as a career, providing good employment opportunities,” said Priyanka Rana, a BBA student and resident of Siransu village in Pauri district.
Kamakshi Goyal, currently working in a nautical company in Goa, said, “I am already involved in white water sports activities in Goa. The rafting training has immensely enhanced my skills. This is a significant effort towards empowering women in Uttarakhand.”