Water sports to be promoted in Larji, Tattapani reservoirs

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 5

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, is imparting training to 20 youths in water sports to give impetus to sports activities in Larji and Tattapani reservoirs of the state.

These trained youths will organise water sports activities such as jetovator ride, hydrofoil and jet-ski for tourists in Larji and Tattapani reservoirs in Kullu and Mandi districts during the coming season.

Ten youths from Larji and Tattapani will undergo training in jetovator ride, hydrofoil and jet-ski in the Pong dam for a week from July 7. These three sports activities are being introduced in Himachal Pradesh for the first time. As of now, river rafting is the only popular water sports in Kullu and Manali and other parts of the state.

The residents of Mandi and Kullu districts, who are associated with the tourism industry, have been urging the state government to promote water sports in the Larji, Pandoh and Tattapani reservoirs.

Due to security concerns, the Pandoh dam authorities have not allowed water sports for tourist recreation. But at the Larji and Tattapani reservoirs, a technical committee gave approval for water sports.

Col Neeraj Rana, Director of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, said, “Twenty youths of the institute are being trained in jetovator ride, hydrofoil and jet-ski water sports in the Pong dam. The first batch of 10 youths has already been trained, while the second batch of another 10 youths will undergo training from July 7.”

“After training, these youths will provide water sports services in the Larji and Tattapani reservoirs to tourists during the coming season,” he said. The institute had imported necessary equipment to be set up at Larji and Tattapani, he added.

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