Adventure Seekers at Risk as Raft Operators Neglect Safety Measures on the Ganges at Rishikesh

&NewLine;<p>December 12&comma; 2023 – In a dangerous trend&comma; raft operators are putting the lives of enthusiasts at risk by engaging in daredevilry on the Ganges&period; Safety kayaks&comma; an essential companion to rafts navigating the Ganges&comma; are conspicuously absent&comma; with the tourism department turning a blind eye to the matter&period; Tourists&comma; enticed by the thrill&comma; are willingly exposing themselves to perilous waves&comma; seeking the adrenaline rush amidst the currents of the Ganges&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Regions like Tapovan&comma; Munikireti&comma; Swargashram&comma; Laxmanjhula&comma; Purnanand&comma; among others&comma; boast a myriad of rafting businesses catering to hundreds of enthusiasts&period; These rafting operators&comma; stationed at Shivpuri&comma; Marine Drive&comma; Brahmpuri&comma; and Club House&comma; attract tourists from various states&comma; including Delhi&comma; Haryana&comma; Rajasthan&comma; and Mumbai&period; As per regulations&comma; having a safety kayak alongside each raft is mandatory for ensuring the safety of participants&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The operation of safety kayaks is crucial&comma; as they can swiftly rescue tourists in the event of a raft overturning in the sudden Ganges waves&period; The cost of deploying a safety kayak alongside a raft ranges from a thousand to fifteen hundred rupees&period; While a rafting operator can conduct three to four rounds in a day&comma; many are opting to forego safety kayaks in pursuit of higher profits&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Despite tourists paying ten rupees each to the Forest Department and Ganga River Rafting Rotation Committee&comma; the safety of tourists is left to the whims of the gods&period; Authorities have yet to scrutinize raft operators&comma; neglecting to monitor the situation closely&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Due to the busy schedule of programs&comma; monitoring has been neglected&period; A checking campaign will soon be initiated in collaboration with the team&period; Action will be taken against raft operators found violating safety regulations&period; &&num;8211&semi; Khushal Singh Negi&comma; Adventurous Tourism Officer<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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