Big shock: No parasailing this Dasara

Mysore: Disappointing those looking forward to doing some adventure sports this Dasara, the festival’s adventure sports sub-committee on Thursday decided against allowing parasailing at the Mandakalli Mysore Airport for reasons of safety. While acknowledging that parasailing would have been a big attraction, Dasara deputy special officer and superintendent of police Abhinav Khare said the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was unlikely to allow it at the airport where aerial joyrides would also be offered to the public. “We had to choose one of the two and decided to drop parasailing. Instead, we will offer more and longer aerial joyrides,” he promised. A change of venue for aqua adventure sports could also be in the offing as a businessman is allegedly lobbying hard against the use of the Varuna tank on T. Narasipur road, so he can open his aqua adventure camp there. When contacted, K. Suresh, assistant director of the Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) and secretary of the Dasara adventure sports sub-committee, acknowledged that a private individual had requested the department to shift the venue for the aqua sports from the Varuna tank this year. “We are awaiting orders from our director on this, but the venue was unlikely to be changed as Varuna tank is most convenient for tourists,\" he said. But a GETHNAA official, on the other hand maintained the DYSS had already issued an order ruling out the use of Varuna tank this year for the aqua adventure sports.