J&K Govt Bans All ‘Private Airborne Activity’ Near Defence Areas

The blanket ban has been implemented for a period of 60 days.

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers on patrol. (Photo: Reuters)

All types of “private airborne activity” within a one kilometre radius from any defence installation in Jammu and Kashmir has been banned for a period of 60 days, reported The Indian Express.

The state government’s blanket ban has come after the Indian Air Force (IAF) issued a warning that terrorists may use “sub-conventional” methods like parachutes, paragliders etc. to target the defence bastions in the area.

The ban order is issued by Jammu’s District Magistrate, Simrandeep Singh.

It invokes section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code, and says it is “imperative to impose restrictions on agencies involved in adventure sports like parasailing, paragliding, or other similar airborne objects’’ as the government has been notified that terrorists may make use of such activities to “target the IAF/Defence/Police installations in the near future.”

For such adventure sport activities anywhere else in the district, prior permission of the district magistrate will have to be sought, according to The Indian Express.

All private agencies involved in these activities will also have to notify the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Law and Order) about their equipments, 60 days from when the order is issued.

Any person or agency subletting said equipment to a third party can also do so only with prior permission.

All the sub divisional magistrates, tehsildars and station house officers of police stations have also been told to ensure the ban order is followed through, and any violation will be penalised.