Stage is set for 135 pilots who will converge on Billing from all over the world to participate in the mega sports event of paragliding World Cup 2015 commencing from October 23 to October 31 this month. The Airport Authority of India is sponsoring the World Cup.
Billing is one of the best and finest spot among the ten identified take off destinations in the world. The twin-hamlets of Bir and Billing are located in the lap of the lush green grand Himalayas surrounded by snow capped high altitude mountain ranges in district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh. The tea gardens in the foothill of Billing present a fantastic view.
The town and country planning minister, Sudhir Sharma, son of a popular leader of Kangra, Pt Sant Ram, had taken keen interest in the development of Bir and Billing by providing world class infrastructure like good roads and preservation of dense forests in the fantastic and panoramic green valley of Billing.
Sudhir Sharma, presently town and country planning minister Himachal Pradesh, is the president of the Bir-Billing Paragliding Association. He presided over the meeting of association at Bir in connection with the arrangement of the paragliding world cup. He said over 135 pilots were expected to participate in the mega event. In addition to the participants 350 fliers will also compete in the event.
Another unique feature of the paragliding world cup at Billing will be organisation of tandem flights for the children gifted with inborn aptitude for flying.
The sleepy village of Bir has worn a festive look. An aesthetically designed carnival village is also being set up at Bir in which a special food corner serving local dishes will be the star attraction for the foreign guests. A tent colony is also being set up at Bir for the pilots.
The natural beauty of the sprawling Billing complex located at an ideal height of 2290 meters on the lap of the grand Himalayas is indeed a dreamland where tourists from home and abroad get spellbound and beguiled by the real grandeur of the land of gods.
Billing is 14 km from Bir, 24 km from Jogindernagar, 25 km from Shiva town Baijnath and 49 km from the green valley of tea gardens Palampur .
One big reason of India’s successful achievement is setting up the state of art infrastructure in Bir and Billing including two standby helicopters and heli-ambulances at the nearest airport at Gagal for rescue operations in the event of emergency operations and establishment of a trauma center and provision of identified take off and landing sites as per international standards.
The work on developing and improvement of the paragliding site at Billing is being done on a war-footing to accommodate conveniently at least 100 gliders as against 40 in the past. Similarly the landing at Bir is also being improved and expanded.
The budget for the World Cup has been envisaged at Rs3.5 crore equivalent to that of UDD 635,000. Organisers expect liberal financial assistance from Himachal Pradesh Government through Sudhir Sharma, a cabinet minister, who in the Virbhadra Singh Government.
An insurance cover of Rs8 lakh to each competing pilot has also been arranged by the association in view of the risk and danger involved in the adventure sport of paragliding in which about half a dozen pilots hailing from USA, Russia and America had lost their lives during the past two decades.