Covid care centre comes up at water sports institute on Pong Lake

BQ—- “Little scope in near future”

“Due to the establishment of Covid care centre at the RWSC complex, we had to cancel booking of tourists and trainees who had come for professional and non-professional water sports training. Keeping in view the little scope of starting adventure water tourism activities in the future, we have returned three jet skis, four electronic foils, a jetovator and a high speed motorboat to the SWHMI, Manali.” Rakesh Kumar, in charge of the RWSC

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, OCTOBER 3

The Regional Water Sports Centre (RWSC) on the manmade Pong Lake was all set to start adventure water sports activities in the state for tourists. However, the rise in Covid-19 cases in lower Kangra areas, especially in Jawali and Fatehpur sub-divisions, and setting up of a Covid care centre at the RWSC complex have forced the authorities to shelve the planned activities.

In order to attract tourists visiting the Pong Lake, the Society of Western Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (SWHMI), Manali, had set up the requisite infrastructure at the RWSC two months ago. The plan was to provide adventure activities matching those at Goa and Kerala beaches to tourists here. Tourism was stalled since March, when the Covid lockdown was imposed, and it had resumed last month. Besides water sports, the state Forest Department was also planning to start commercial boating in the lake but its motor boats are now lying idle.

As per the information, the RWSC has been imparting water sports training, especially in rafting and basic water course, to sports lovers from Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab every year. Apart from this, personnel of Indian Air Force and Para Military Forces were also being imparted this training.

Rakesh Kumar, in charge of the RWSC, said due to the establishment of Covid care centre at the RWSC complex, they had to cancel booking of tourists and trainees who had come for professional and non-professional water sports training. Keeping in view the little scope of starting adventure water tourism activities in the future, they had returned three jet skis, four electronic foils, a jetovator and a high speed motorboat to the SWHMI, Manali. He added that 15 persons had been imparted special training to run adventure water tourism activities in the Pong Lake.