GANDHINAGAR: After a recent mid-air scare for a parasailing couple, the Gujarat government has ordered the closure of all such adventures at tourist locations in the state. The couple had a close shave with death after the rope of their parachute snapped in Diu, Gujarat’s neighbour.
Such thrills will be on offer again after the state government announces a new policy listing out the safety guidelines for operators.
The couple from Junagadh fell into the open sea after the rope snapped all of a sudden. The couple survived as they were wearing life jackets and rescue teams reached them quickly.
However, the incident raised questions over the safety of adrenaline-boosting options which are available to tourists at spots such as Shivrajpur beach and Saputara hill station.
Purnesh Modi, the state’s tourism minister, directed the tourism department to issue an order to all district authorities to shut down all parasailing and similar facilities with immediate effect. “Although the shocking incident happened in Diu, the tourists were from Gujarat,” the minister said. “We have ordered safety audits of all such services in Gujarat.” The minister said: “We realized that operators were functioning without any government regulations or proper safety measures.” He added: “The state tourism department will prepare a safety and regulation policy shortly and ask the local authorities to conduct safety audits before allowing the operators to offer their services again.”
