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More rivers for rafting in Uttarakhand

Anupama Sushil - New Delhi

In an attempt to lower the burden on the existing river rafting belt making it a year round sporting activity, Prakash Pant, Minister of Tourism for Uttarakhand said to Express TravelWorld in an exclusive conversation that the state government was looking at extending the sport to other rivers of the state.

"Major rivers like Kosi and Sarada provide a good chance for developing the sport and the feasibility study on the rivers is being carried out by the state government in association with relevant authorities," Pant said. He further mentioned that the state has some rivers which come alive only during the monsoon and could be an alternative to Ganga during this season for the sport to continue.

The tributaries of Ganga, Yamuna and Sarda are also considered. The existing adventure tour operators will be approached for making similar facilities available on new banks and will be offered suitable incentives. Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and Kumaoun Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) will play a major role in developing and managing the site once they are approved.

"By the beginning of the next monsoon, we will try to start the sport on at least one of the rivers," confidently concluded Pant.