HUBBALI: Following a media campaign by The New Indian Express over flaunting of safety measures while river rafting in Kali last week, the district administration of Uttara Kannada has served notice to the operators and directed them to adhere to the rules.
The Tourism officer from Karwar has directed the tour operators in Ganeshgudi area in Dandeli where most of the watersports activities including the river rafting are conducted, to ensure every tourist doing watersport must have life jackets.
Going a step further the local administration of Joida Taluk has directed the Tourism operators to submit the legal papers and permission letters of their properties. While close to 100 tourism units are registered with the government agencies, nearly 300 tourist units in Uttara Kannada district have no legalisation.
"We have asked the tour operators to submit the papers and as well as apply for legalising their activities. In many cases, the rightful share of state government, Forest Department and the Karnataka Power Corporation do not reach as many operators operate without any licence. Hence we have asked the tourism units to ensure they are legal and have permission to run the activities from the necessary
governmental agencies" said a senior official from Joida.
Tourism operators from Dandeli pointed out that several destinations in Uttara Kannada district such as Murdeshwara and Moulangi near Dandeli are having tendered watersports activities which are running well, but it's high time that the authorities legalize all the watersports activities along the Kali river. The stretch of rivet where watersports are conducted is part of Hornbill Conservation Reserve, one of its kind Protected Area in the country," he noted.