Kishtwar administration to conduct mountaineering training course to promote adventure sports

Jammu, May 6 (PTI) To promote adventure sports and outdoor activities, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district have selected five youths for a 24-day basic mountaineering course, an official said on Saturday.

The candidates — Abhishekh Sharma, Abhilash Sharma, Pawan Kumar, Deepak Thakur and Bilal Ahmed Shan — will undergo training at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports in Pahalgam under the ‘Sankalp’ programme, said Devansh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar.

The course, which will be conducted from May 6 to 29, aims at equipping the trainees with the necessary skills and knowledge about basic mountaineering techniques and safety procedures.

“This initiative is just one of the many efforts being made by the district administration to provide the youth an opportunity for self-employment and skill development owing to the vast tourism potential in the district,” Yadav said.

Besides the basic mountaineering course, the administration is also planning two courses for advanced training.

By June this year, the hilly district is expected to have certified and trained youths for various tourism activities, Yadav said.

“We had recently organised the maiden Sinthan Festival and are going to promote the flagship scheme of homestays in a big way as over two lakh devotees from outside take part in the Machail Mata Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 25,” the deputy commissioner said.

The first-of-its-kind Sinthan Festival, which was held from April 29 to 30 to showcase the virgin tourist destinations in the higher reaches bordering south Kashmir’s Anantnag, attracted over 16,000 visitors. Activities like paragliding, tug of war and live musical performances were organised besides snow activities, he said.

More such activities to promote tourism shall continue through the year so that Kishtwar is recognised for its natural beauty, adventure potential and talented local performers, he added.

In March, the district administration had organised a 10-day programme to train youths as travel and tourist guides under the ‘Sankalp’ initiative to promote rural self-employment.

Thirty-two local youths were trained as part of the programme, Yadav said.

The administration believes that such initiatives will not only provide a platform to the youth to showcase their skills but also open up new avenues for tourism and economic growth in the region, he said.

The district administration, in collaboration with the Kishtwar Development Authority (KDA) and Skill Development Committee (SDC), is going to sponsor the training for unemployed youths who are interested in setting up their own adventure sports enterprises, he said.

Kishtwar Development Authority CEO Inderjeet Singh Parihar said they have been receiving a good response to the advanced course and a few spots are still available.

In a public notice, Parihar said that all those interested in joining the course may submit their forms till May 7.