The district’s tourism development officer has also been asked to ensure that paragliding operators and pilots were registered and unique codes issued to them.
The Kangra district administration in Himachal Pradesh has indefinitely banned paragliding activities following the deaths of two people during an accident, an official said. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Dr Nipun Jindal banned paragliding under the Disaster Management Act, the Press Trust of India reported. The district’s tourism development officer has also been asked to ensure that paragliding operators and pilots were registered and unique codes issued to them, the official said.
Dr Jindal will review the order to ban paragliding in a fortnight after ensuring that registered operators and pilots had adhered to the directions, the district administration said in an official statement.
The move follows the death of a paraglider and a helper on Wednesday. The helper pushing the glider got entangled in the rope, causing the glider to lose balance at Bir Billing, a well-known take-off and landing site in Kangra. The two men fell from a height of 25-30 feet, dying on the spot. The pilot also suffered injuries and had to be hospitalised.
Police have informed the families of the deceased that they would pursue a criminal case in the matter. Kangra Superintendent of Police K Sharma said the cops were checking footage from the video camera attached to the paraglider. The pilot’s logbook is also being checked to ascertain his flying experience.
Kangra has reported several accidents involving paragliders in recent years.
In December, a 12-year-old boy died on the way to the take-off site after the vehicle in which the family was travelling collided with a two-wheeler and fell into a gorge. In November, a 30-year-old man from the district died during a tandem flight after falling from a paraglider. Reports at the time had suggested that his belt and harness had come off during the flight.
A similar accident had taken place at Indrunag, another take-off and landing spot in October, leading to the death of a helper. In January, a pilot went missing after taking off from Bir Billing. His body was recovered five months later.