Hot air balloon rides draw crowds
The hot air balloon rides at Delhi’s Baansera Park near Sarai Kale Khan have drawn visitors of all age groups, from children to senior citizens, many of whom visited the attraction for the first time.
Pinki and Dinesh Kumar travelled from Ghaziabad to take the ride, while several others reached the park early to secure their turn.
“This is only the second time I have seen something like this here. I had taken a hot air balloon ride nearly 25 years ago near the Red Fort,” he said. Deepak Jain, who bought three tickets for his wife and brother, was among the first riders of the day. “It was our first experience, and we were thrilled. From the balloon we could see the Akshardham Temple, Humayun’s Tomb and the beautiful view of the river,” he said.
His wife, Babita Jain, said more arrangements should be made for senior citizens.
Earlier, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, who took a test ride to examine safety measures on Wednesday, described the project as a fresh way to bring people closer to the Yamuna’s natural landscape. Four passengers, along with a licensed pilot, can board at a time and each ticket is priced at Rs 3,000 plus taxes.
Safety remains the central priority as licensed pilots have been hired to do the job and the agency running the facility has obtained a licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for flying hot air balloons up to a height of 200ft.
