Nation’s 1st aerial seeding project grounded after Lohegaon scare

“The incident wrongly got reported as ‘paragliders spotted’. The weather conditions on June 29 were not feasible for paragliders to operate. This surfaced in investigations that followed. We are law abiding citizens and have never indulged in such activities. But all of a sudden,it has become difficult to obtain permissions and approach authorities,” said Eric Menezes,chief paragliding instructor,Wings and Flights.

NYK was to approach the collectors of the five districts and tie up with forest officials for the project. “We wanted to carry out the activity during the rainy season. Experts were contemplating whether we should carry out the event in April-May or later,but now it has been postponed to next year,” said Yashwant Mankhedkar,district youth coordinator of the NYK.

While aerial seeding activity is just one example,the paragliding community in the city — 400 registered paragliders and four clubs — have been at the receiving end since June 29-30. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mentions that regulating paragliding is a state subject and paragliders need to seek clearances from the local Air Traffic Control (ATC) before flying. While the IAF has been supportive,the paragliders are facing problems as their basic operational framework is now being questioned.

“We met IAF authorities who advised us to frame guidelines to get clearances from the police and the district collectorate. A fortnight ago,we met the police commissioner. Some framework and guidelines will be ready in a month,” said Menezes.

“Paragliding is an international sport but there is no government support. The Maharashtra terrain is one of the best in the world for paragliding,but the tourism department seems disinterested in supporting us. At international events,we have no mechanism for government recommendations. It is high time the government and the authorities thought seriously of us,else,one day we will all have to look at other countries.”