Idukki District Administration to Act Against Unlicensed Adventure Tourism Operations

Idukki: The district administration has decided to initiate action against adventure tourism establishments that are functioning without required government permissions.

District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat announced the decision on Wednesday. The move comes shortly after a family of four, including two young children, was left stranded 150 feet above the ground at a sky-dining restaurant when the crane supporting the platform developed a technical fault. They were later safely rescued by fire and rescue personnel.

Following the incident, police registered a case against the operators of the sky-dining restaurant at Anachal. According to the FIR, the establishment was functioning without ensuring public safety. The case has been filed under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for endangering human life, and Section 118(e) of the Kerala Police Act for causing danger to public safety.

A stop memo was also issued after it was found that the restaurant was operating without a proper licence from the concerned local body. Speaking to a TV channel, Collector Cheruvat stated that the establishment has not submitted required documentation to prove mandatory permissions from various departments. These include clearances from the Revenue Department, Fire and Rescue services, Electrical safety authorities, and from the Panchayat.

Dinesan Cheruvat also noted that the sky-dining operation began in October, and questioned how the Adventure Tourism authority allowed them to function without full regulatory compliance. He stated that he will seek a report from the concerned authority regarding this lapse.

The Collector further added that after the local body elections, a comprehensive list of such establishments in each panchayat of the district will be prepared. Any facility found to be operating without the necessary permissions will be prevented from continuing operations.