Sunday, 05 June 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
In the raft guide license examination held in river Ganga from May 30 to June 3, a total of 86 youths cleared the examination. A total of 280 trainee guides had taken part in the examination. The selected candidates would be provided licences by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB).
The additional chief executive officer (Adventure wing) Colonel (Rtd) Ashvini Pundeer said the rafting activities are governed by the UTDB and there are 309 registered firms in the state that operate 633 rafts. In Uttarakhand commercial rafting is done in Ganga, Kali, Tons, Alaknanda, Yamuna, Kosi, Saryu, Ramganga west and east and Pinder rivers. There are 262 registered firms for rafting in Ganga only that operate 575 rafts. As per the guidelines, every raft can be operated by one licensed guide and he should be assisted by one assistant. Those having the experience of three years or more as assistant or trainee guide can appear in the license examination.
The water sports specialist of UTDB, Anuj Gusain said that the licence examination was organised in two stages and a total of 28 trainees appeared in it.
The UFO of Rafting association Rajiv Tiwari said that the turnover of the rafting industry is over Rs 200 crore a year and it provided direct and indirect employment to 45000 people in the state. The president of Uttarakhand chapter of National Adventure Foundation (NAF) Manjul Rawat said that it is proper on part of UTDB to organise the examination on its own with the help of ITBP and forest department instead of handing it over to some agency. He claimed that more trainees from the country and outside would participate in the licence examination of UTDB in future.
