Lack of civic amenities leaves Billing high and dry

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, June 17

The tourist hotspot of Billing, a world famous take-off point for paragliding, is facing acute shortage of drinking water as the lone natural water source feeding the village has dried up. Tourists and paragliding enthusiasts reaching Billing are forced to buy packaged drinking water.

The Special Area Development Authority (SADA) set up by the state government for managing the affairs in Billing has failed to provide amenities. SADA charges green tax from motorists entering the Billing area, besides collecting money from pilots, who conduct solo or tandem flights.

Local residents and other stakeholders involved in the paragliding activities say the state government’s decision to create SADA for Bir-Billing has failed to bring desired results.

Located 9,000 ft above the sea level, Billing is a preferred choice among paragliding enthusiasts from across the country and the globe. However, visitors feel cheated due to the lack of amenities. Though the state government had sanctioned Rs 3 crore for providing drinking water in Billing three years ago, the project failed to take off due to the lack of political and administrative will.

At present, there is no electricity supply to Billing. The work for laying underground power supply lines to Billing from Bir is underway for the past three years. Most of the hotels and restaurants at Billing have been managing their daily affairs with the help of generators, which spoil the clean and green environs of the hill station.

“There are no basic amenities in Bir-Billing, which has emerged as a major tourist spot over the years. It is also a favourite trekking spot for tourists coming to the Kangra valley,” says Anurag Sharma, president, Bir-Billing Paragliding Association.

Some women tourists from Chandigarh said they were highly disappointed as “they could not find even a toilet in Billing”. Local travel agents told The Tribune that the Chief Minister during a visit to Bir-Billing in October 2023 had announced several development projects for Billing, but these were yet to be implemented because of official bottlenecks and red tape.

Local MLA Kishori Lal, who is also Chief Parliamentary Secretary, said, “A master plan for the development of Billing is in the pipeline. The plan will be executed by the Tourism Department. A parking lot for vehicles is under construction, while other development works will be carried out in a phased manner.”