Uttarakhand HC bans all water sports activities

In what could come as a blow to adventure sports in the state of Uttarakhand, the high court has ordered a ban on all water sports activities including river water rafting and paragliding.

The court observed that these activities were being carried out in absence of any policy and has given two weeks to the state government to enact a law regulating the adventure sports.

The court took note of the deaths caused due to capsizing of boats and remarked that such activities should only be allowed under the supervision of highly trained professionals.


"Sports and pleasure cannot be permitted to end in disaster," the court observed while asking the state government to invite bids for conducting sporting activities in a transparent manner.

“We are shocked to know that the state government is permitting camping sites on river beds. It pollutes the environment and ecology of the river and the surrounding areas,” the court said.

It has ordered the state government to not allow vehicles up to the river to avoid traffic congestion which leads to environmental pollution.