Pandemic hits paraglider, river raft operators in Kullu

Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, May 28

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River raft and paraglider operators of Kullu district have been hit hard by the second wave of the pandemic. The second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in the state has forced the state government to extend corona curfew till June 7. The inflow of tourists drying up completely they have lost their source of livelihood.

Due to the curfew in the state, there was sharp decline in tourist arrival in Kullu district since the first week of this month as the state government had stopped public transportation completely across the state to check the spread of virus. The earnings of raft and paraglider operators depend on the tourists visiting Kullu-Manali.

These operators in Kullu district are in distress. Surender Kumar, president of Paraglider Operators Association at Solang valley in Kullu district, told The Tribune, “The second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in the state has affected their livelihood badly. There is silence in Solang valley since the beginning of this month due to decline in tourist arrival. The famous tourist hotspot Manali and its nearby places were wearing a deserted look these days.”

“There are over 400 people associated with paragliding activities in Kullu-Manali, who have lost their livelihood. We are waiting for the pandemic to end so that the tourism industry of Kullu-Manali is revived,” he said.

Similarly, raft operators of Kullu district are feeling the brunt of second wave of Covid-19 as they have lost business completely. Amid Covid curfew in the state, the movement of people to market areas is allowed only for three hours for urgent works and the river rafting sites are wearing deserted look these days.

Shyam Chand, a raft operator in Kullu said, “The livelihood of over 400 raft operators has been affected directly because of the current situation. Apart from this, employees engaged by raft operators were also hit hard as they have lost their jobs.”

Like raft operators and paraglider operators, many village women of Manali area have lost their source of livelihood because of this pandemic as they were earning livelihood by providing traditional Kulluvi attire to tourists to click photographs.