Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has sent a notice to all the paragliding companies so as to warn them to act within rules and regulation. CAAN has sent a formal letter stating that the authority will take action against illegal paragliding pilots and companies situated in Pokhara under criminal law and will also cancel licenses of both pilots and companies if they continue to violate the rules.
CAAN has directed about 70 companies to operate maximum 2 flights a day and not to allow foreign pilots to work without having labor approval. According to information officer of CAAN at Pokhara, previously they had directed all companies to act according to law however, the companies are not doing so.
Poudel added that both pilots and companies are involved in taking off and landing from random place which are not approved that has led to increase in accidents. Currently only 2 areas, Toripani to Chankhapur and from Sarangkot to Khapaudi are approved for paragliding in Pokhara.
Vice president of Nepal Air Sports Association said that all government instructions are limited in papers only which have led companies and pilots to take unnecessary advantage of it. Though the country is popular for adventure sports, lack of government monitoring and not taking appropriate action from concerned authority has led to such problems. In peak season around 400 flights are carried per day.
Mostly Chinese tourist visit Nepal and almost 90% of them go for paragliding and now Chinese Embassy have expressed concern about the safety and management and has drawn attention of its citizen who are going for paragliding as some Chinese tourist have died and others have faced loss of robbery of their valuable stuffs along with injury during flights. The embassy has issued notice to its people and this might create loss in tourism income of the country.
Source: republica.nagariknetwork.com
