A few days after the sky dining mishap in Anachal, Kerala's Idukki, where a family was stuck for over two hours in a 150-feet-high restaurant facility, the district has decided to penalise establishments without required approvals. Idukki District Collector Ninesan Cheruvat said that a list of such establishments in each Idukki panchayat will be drawn up soon. If any of them are operating without the requisite permissions, they will not be allowed to function, Cheruvat said. Meanwhile, how can tourists check whether the adventure tourism experience they are signing up for is credible and has the required licenses? Idukki District Tourism Promotion Council Secretary Jitheesh Jose and Tourism Deputy Director PS Shine explain.

How can tourists ensure safety
According to the secretary, tourists can visit the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society's (KATPS) website to check whether the establishment and the activity they are signing up for are listed there. "The website lists various accredited adventure tour operators and their details. This can be a credible platform for tourists for verification," says Jitheesh Jose. Deputy Director PS Shine says tourists can also check whether the adventure facility has a licence issued and signed by the KATPS director, which is displayed in their office. "Also, observe whether the service provider is ensuring proper safety briefings, making tourists sign declarations and clearing doubts before the start of the activity," he adds.  

Before the adventure activity begins, check whether the facility providing it is giving safety sessions. Representative image/iStock
Before the adventure activity begins, check whether the facility providing it is giving safety sessions. Representative image/iStock

The sky dining mishap
A family of four, along with their staff, was stranded in the sky dining facility when the crane suspending the restaurant developed a technical glitch. The group also had two small children. They were rescued by the Munnar Fire and Rescue team. Apparently, the restaurant didn't have a licence from the civic body and a case was registered against it under section 125 (endangering human lives) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 118(e) (act that causes danger to public safety) of the Kerala Police Act. A stop memo was also issued against its operations. The collector also said that they haven't provided the documents on their permissions from various authorities. 
(With inputs from PTI)

Tourists can also take a few easy steps to see whether the facility they sign up for is credible. Representative image/iStock
Tourists can also take a few easy steps to see whether the facility they sign up for is credible. Representative image/iStock

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