Kalimpong, Aug. 25: Tourists with
a yen for adventure are likely to find a new attraction in Kalimpong
from the coming year with paragliding facilities set to be introduced
in the town.
The Damsang Environment Conservation Eco Tourism Organization,
which is involved in promoting tourism in the area, is working towards
offering paragliding as an option for visitors to the town.
`There is a good demand for paragliding
among tourists and we have found a perfect place at Tinchulay near
Pedong to introduce this facility,` said Sebastian Pradhan,
director, Damsang Environment Conservation Eco Tourism Organization. `It
is not only the foreign visitors who are interested in paragliding,
young domestic tourists are showing a lot of interest in this activity.
I had gone to manali recently to see if there was a demand for paragliding
and found out that around 20 to 30 tourists take part in it every
day,` he added.The organization is exploring all the aspects
of introducing the adventure sport in the area `The height of
the place is around 6,000 ft. This is ideal for paragliding. There
are many places in the hills, but it is also necessary to have the
right air pressure. We had brought in an expert to check these factors
and he said the air pressure and height are both ideal for paragliding,`
said Pradhan.Suitable places are now being explored to build the
infrastructure required to tap the paragliding potential. `Apart
from the ideal take off point, a good place for landing is also
needed. There are a lot of empty fields at Kashyong, which we want
to convert into a landing zone,` said Pradhan.Apart from the
thrill of the flight, paragliding will offer tourists a bird's-eye
view of the area. `There is an added benefit of the sights one
can see from there. Apart from a view of the Reshi River, a tourist
can also see Kanchenjunga from the air,` Pradhan added.The
introduction of paragliding at Tinchulay will benefit the people
of nearby Pedong too.Private lodges and shops can expect to do brisk
business and the unemployed will find new avenues to generate income.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
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