Without approvals, resorts take all for a ride

Bengaluru: Over the last 15 years, 50 to 60 resorts have mushroomed
within a 100 km radius of Bengaluru, ready to cater to those interested in adventure sports.

But this boom has come at a cost: Many of these resorts operate without any accreditation or oversight, according to sources in the General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure (GETHNAA).

A 35-year-old nurse lost herlife when the zipline cable snapped at Jungle Trailz resort in Ramanagara on May 20.

GETHNAA is the only body in Karnataka that provides accreditation to conduct adventure sports. But senior officials said that the body only approves requests for accreditation and is not equipped to check if the resorts follow safety norms.

Sources said the resort in Ramanagara, where the accident took place on
Monday, did not have permission to conduct such activities. “We are sure
that they did not have accreditation from us. We have to check whether there were professional trainers around to handle the adventure gear,” a well-placed source in GETHNAA told DH.

Abiding by GETHNAA regulations is mandatory for those conducting commercial adventure sports.

A senior policeman investigating the case said that the owner and the key staff of the resort were absconding and hence they were yet to check the licences and approvals.

Resort owners require permissions from about 15 departments. Officials from the Karnataka Tourism Department said not all resorts obtain these clearances, and they get away with it, too.

“Unless they need a subsidy or benefit, they don’t even register with the tourism department,” a senior official from the Karnataka Tourism Department said. “They get approvals from various departments and only the district administration can check all of them. They only check the basic revenue plan and police approval. Technical aspects are not given much priority.” he explained.

Speaking to DH, a senior official from Bengaluru Urban district administration said that the gram panchayats usually check a few approvals and the police also inspect the place.

“It is a collective responsibility. No single department can ensure that all the criteria are met. We expect that each department does its inspection,” the official said.

He said resorts are not usually subjected to surprise compliance checks.
The Jungle Trailz number kept ringing when DH tried to contact its staff. No one picked up the calls.

Highlights - State of affairs Resort owners require permissions from close to 15 departments to run all activities But officials say that not all resorts obtain these clearances, and owners get away with it, too A Bengaluru Urban district administration admitted that there are hardly any compliance checks On May 20, a 35-year-old woman lost her life when the zipline cable snapped at a resort in Ramanagara 

Unless they need a subsidy or any benefit they do not even register with the department. They get approvals from various departments and only the district administration has the power to check for all of it. But most of the time only basic revenue plan and police approval are checked. Technical aspects are not given much priority

Senior official Karnataka Tourism Department