Villagers hold protest, threaten to disrupt paragliding event at Bir-Billing

Protesting against the inclusion of their area under the Special Area Development Authority (SADA), the residents of Billing area have threatened to disrupt the Pre-World Cup paragliding event to be organised in November at Bir Billing. The residents of villages around the Billing take off point area for paragliders today blocked the road to Billing today.

Due to protest of villagers, the paragliding, which was supposed to start today at Bir Billing, was disrupted. The paragliding was banned in Bir Billing during the monsoon months and was scheduled to resume today. However, due to protest by villagers paragliding pilots failed to reach the Billing take off site.

The villagers are protesting for the past fortnight against the inclusion of their area under Special Area Development Authority (SADA). This has been done to regulate constructions in Bir Billing area that is famous internationally for paragliding. Bir Billing is among the top 10 paragliding sites in the world and attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists every year.

Anjana Devi, pradhan of Gunehar village, who was among the protestors, alleged that authorities had not taken the villagers into confidence before including their village under SADA. The villagers are feeling aggrieved that they have been brought under SADA without the government providing them any urban facility. The villagers have no say in the activities going on Bir Billing but their lands are being put to restrictive use. “In case the government wants to impose SADA in our area, it should first provide facilities to the villagers,” she said.

Manoj Thakur, another protestor, alleged that the people of the region came to know about the notification issued by the government for inclusion of the area under SADA only last month. He alleged that villagers would not allow paragliding World Cup in Billing in case the government failed to de-notify their areas out of SADA.

The villagers today blocked traffic on Billing road for four hours from 9 am to 1 pm. The local Congress MLA from Baijnath and CPS Kishori Lal had also taken up the issue of inclusion of many areas of Baijnath area under SADA and Town and Country planning (TCP) Act.

The agitation of villagers against inclusion under SADA and TCP Act has been going on in Baijnath and other areas of Kangra district also.

Government officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, have alleged that the areas have been included under SADA as per the orders of the Himachal High Court. Sources said that the government was considering de-notifying some areas from SADA and the TCP Act but the process would take time.

The paragliding pre-World Cup at Bir Billing would be organised by the Tourism Department. The Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), RS Bali, when contacted, said the concern of villagers would be addressed and the matter would be sorted out. The paragliding pre-World Cup would boost tourism in the area and benefit everybody in Bir Billing, he said.

Not taken into confidence

• Anjana Devi, pradhan of Gunehar village, alleges that authorities did not take villagers into confidence before including their village under SADA. The villagers are feeling aggrieved that they have been brought under the SADA without the government providing them any urban facilities
• Another protester alleges that villagers will not allow the Paragliding World Cup in Billing if the government fails to de-notify their areas out of the SADA