Madikeri: The permission for rafting sport in River Cauvery will be subject to approval by a high powered district level committee in future, said Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kodagu P I Sreevidya.
“The River Rafting Managing and Monitoring Committee is being established and permits will be issued to operators involved in river rafting after the completion of state polls,” DC Sreevidya stated. The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on May 20 and those interested can forward their applications to Deputy Director, District Tourism Committee, DC added.
DC’s order is in response to several pleas from operators over loss of jobs and adverse effect on district tourism affecting revenue.
Perturbed by the illegal river rafting activities going unhindered in River Cauvery around Kushalnagar and Dubare, DC Sreevidya P I had earlier ordered the suspension of all forms of river rafting activities.
People organising river rafting activities have not taken necessary permission from the district administration neither have they provided insurance cover to tourists availing rafting facilities. They have also failed to employ safety measures by throwing caution to the winds, thereby endangering lives of people, especially tourists, DC stated in her order issued under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), while imposing temporary ban on the sport on February 28 this year.
The action by the DC was in the aftermath of suspected assault on tourists by the rafting guides where one of the visitors from Hyderabad had died during mid-February.
