Crowding the Ganga's white waters could cost tour operators dear.
It's getting crowded on the rapids and issues of boat jams, pollution and ecological damage are beginning to raise their ugly head on the banks of the Ganga, near Rishikesh.
On the Shivpuri stretch, where river rafting was first introduced in the early '80s, a war is likely to break out over where the 48 licencees will pitch their tents in a bid to grab a slice of the rapidly growing rafting market in India.
Pioneered by tour operator Avinash Kohli (who is currently president of the Indian Canoeing and Kayaking Association), the initial hurdle had to do with importing the right equipment and ensuring safety processes for the nascent sport in the absence of any regulation. Having overcome those to some extent, the industry will now have to grapple with the more serious issue of oversupply.
Seen by some to be easy pickings, the number of promoters of white water rafting on the Ganga has grown exponentially. The 18 companies that were operating at Shivpuri as recently as 2002, will increase to 48 by end of 2006.
The sharp increase in those applying for allocation of space on the river's banks has much to do with government policy. The state government issues only one-year licences to tour operators, making them register sub-companies in a bid to ensure that they stand a good chance of getting at least one of their licences approved.
These tour operators say that unless there is a guarantee that they will get a licence, they cannot promote the sport to their overseas principals (which requires selling a year to two years in advance),
lock" id="div_arti_inline_advt">