Kutlehar in Una to be paragliding spot

Our Correspondent

UNA, JULY 15

A team of experts from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, today conducted trials of paragliding from the peak of the Solasinghi Dhar in Kutlehar and gave its consent to notify Garvhasada as the take-off spot for paragliders.

The team included ABVIMAS Additional Director Surinder Thakur, Senior Paragliding Instructor Anuja Avasthi, Tourism Development Officer Ravi Dhiman and some other technical experts. Two paragliders took off from a peak in Garvhasada village around 7 am and landed at Andrauli village near the banks of the Gobind Sagar reservoir. The flights lasted about 30 minutes each.

Later, Surinder Thakur termed the trials successful and said the take-off and landing sites would be notified shortly. He said after Bir-Billing, Garvhasada would be the second spot for paragliding in Himachal, adding that paragliders could get a bird’s eyeview of mountains, valleys and the Gobind Sagar lake.

DC Raghav Sharma said professional and adventure paragliding would now be possible in Una district. The take-off and landing sites would be developed. It would give a boost to tourism and adventure sports in the district since it was close to Punjab and Haryana.

Raghav Sharma said there were also plans to start water sports activities in the Gobind Sagar lake at Andrauli for which a society had been formed and boats were being procured. He said the approval for launching houseboats had been received from the Bharka Beas Management Board.