US Visa Reject होने पर Indian Student ने दी Bomb Blast की धमकी
प्रेरणा कौशिक
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Navbharat Times• 18 Jun 2025, 3:31 pm
US Visa Reject होने पर Indian Student ने दी Bomb Blast की धमकी | सिद्धार्थ भंसाली
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The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
There's no demand for safety in India's adventure industry. Tourists should ask questions
Though safety guidelines, licensing norms, and SOPs exist and many operators follow them, the sheer scale of the industry, combined with cutthroat competition, often overwhelms even the best-intentioned systems. The recent accident in Manali, where a 12-year-old girl from Nagpur fell into a gorge after her zip line's harness rope broke, is just the latest in a string of mishaps. A similar incident in Bhor, Pune, had raised alarms only weeks earlier. But the warnings go unheeded. And here we are again. Every time tragedy strikes in Indian adventure tourism, the pattern is predictable: Public outrage, media frenzy, finger-pointing and then silence, until the next time. Even after multiple fatal accidents this year, most participants, especially parents of young thrill-seekers, fail to ask critical questions about operator registrations, licenses and certifications. In the battle between adrenaline and awareness, adrenaline still wins. Also read: Adventure tourism is not accessible for women—sexual harassment, safety risks Illusion of safety Adventure will never be risk-free; it's about managing risk. Yet a culture of impulsive thrill-seeking is on the rise. Participants often arrive at a destination and jump into zip-lining, rafting, or trekking with little idea of what's at stake. The mindset is simple: If it's available and everyone's doing it, it must be safe. A helmet goes on, a rope is clipped, and no one asks about safety checks, certifications, or instructor training. Blind trust replaces basic caution. Social media only adds to the illusion. Adventure is sold as picture-perfect reels, showing the fun but not the fitness, training, or safety protocols behind it. For young minds still learning to weigh risk, it creates a dangerously false sense of effort-free thrill. The silent crisis This is the hard truth: Safety is the last thing on people's minds. For those who conduct activities, safety should be the priority and not an afterthought, irrespective of whether there is one participant or there are 50 participants. But safety isn't just the responsibility of operators. Most people don't ask important questions such as Does the operator have the license to operate? When was the equipment last checked? Do I or my child have the skill, strength, or sense to take this on? And that is where the crisis lies. For adventure tourism to operate safely, RAMS (Risk Assessment and Management Systems) need to be in place. Think of it as a safety blueprint, anticipating what could go wrong and planning how to prevent or handle it. Following RAMS makes adventure safe, not sorry. In adventure sports, where speed, height, water, terrain, and weather intersect, RAMS isn't just paperwork. It's essential to safety. Good RAMS includes: Hazard identification (e.g., rockfall, fatigue, gear failure) Likelihood and impact analysis Preventive steps (route checks, equipment inspection, skill-based grouping) Emergency response plans Clear roles for staff and guides Adventure will always involve risk, but RAMS ensures it's a calculated challenge, not a careless gamble. RAMS is standard in countries like New Zealand, the UK, and Canada, where the sector is tightly regulated. In India, it's still not an industry norm, a serious gap in our safety culture. Without RAMS: Altitude sickness may go unnoticed Equipment may be unchecked Participants may not know emergency procedures Weather alerts may be ignored This isn't just carelessness, it's a recipe for disaster. To professionalise India's adventure tourism, we must build a culture of safety through training, licensing, regulation, and public awareness. If demand for safety grows, responsible supply will follow. Also read: Everyone should learn wilderness first aid. It's more than just dressing wounds What needs to be done now Back in 2018, the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) submitted a comprehensive set of Adventure Tourism Guidelines to the Ministry of Tourism. These weren't mere suggestions; they were detailed safety protocols, risk assessment models (including RAMS), and SOPs for land, air, and water-based activities. The guidelines emphasised operator training, participant briefing, and environmental responsibility. Yet in most states, these guidelines lie dormant. There is an urgent need for stakeholders to work alongside the government towards ensuring the enforcement of these guidelines. This means building a National Adventure and Outdoor Activity Policy Framework that brings together the Ministries of Tourism, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Environment & Forests, and industry stakeholders. 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All activities must follow core operational standards: RAMS (Risk Assessment & Management Systems) Guide-to-participant ratios Seasonal access & ecological protocols Equipment and infrastructure standards Waste management & Leave No Trace policy Inclusive design (e.g., gender-sensitive, accessible spaces) The Ministry of Tourism can anchor this by linking licensing to compliance and safety audits. Participant education is of the utmost importance. It can be done by launching awareness campaigns that encourage asking questions and integrating safety modules in schools and NCC/NSS programmes. Another key aspect is to reframe safety checks as smart, not sceptical. Done right, adventure builds confidence and connection. Done wrong, it invites trauma and loss. India's adventure sector is growing fast. But to earn global respect, we must lead not just in thrill, but in standards, responsibility, and safety. Anusha Subramanian is an independent journalist, mountaineer, and entrepreneur who has been writing specifically about adventure and mountaineering for over a decade. She posts under @sanushas. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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Mamata Banerjee's Censorship Efforts Continue as Bengal Police Asks X to Take Down Manjul's Cartoons on CM
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‘The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case' trailer: Amit Sial leads investigation around infamous suicide bombing
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