Team Goemkarponn
MANDREM: The prevalence of non-Goan operators in the paragliding and adventure tourism industry along the Arambol-Paliem-Keri-Terekhol coast has caused Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar to express grave worries.
He claims that the majority of these operators do not follow safety regulations.
Arolkar reaffirmed his long-standing opposition to paragliding after a horrific accident on Saturday claimed the lives of a pilot and a 26-year-old Pune resident.
He emphasized that nearly all paragliding and related service operators are from nearby states and do not take the necessary precautions.
“Non-Goans are engaging in these activities while flagrantly ignoring safety precautions. For some reason, these illicit businesses continue to flourish despite my opposition to them over the past two years, Arolkar said.
The MLA disclosed that the department had previously stopped issuing permits to paragliding operators after he brought up the matter with the Minister of Tourism. The illicit actions continued in spite of this.
“I had brought up these unlawful paragliding and parachuting operations with the minister. Arolkar stated, “The tourism department stopped granting permissions,” but he was unable to provide an explanation for how these operators carried on operating without licenses.
A 27-year-old woman tourist and her instructor were killed after they crashed into a ravine while they were paragliding in North Goa, police said on Sunday. The accident occurred at Keri village on Saturday evening, an official said.
Shivani Dable, a resident of Pune, and her instructor, Sumal Nepali (26), a Nepalese national, crashed to death at Keri Plateau around 5 pm, he said.
The official said Dable had opted to paraglide with an adventure sports company operating illegally.