POKHARA, May 20: After receiving complaints that paragliding pilots, who give rides to tourists in Pokhara's skies, consumed alcohol and drugs, the Kaski police tested pilots at the paragliding takeoff point. To check for alcohol or drug use, the police team visited the paragliding takeoff point at Pokhara-18, Mandredhunga.
During the alcohol detection test for drunk drivers (Mapase) and drug driving (Lapase) tests, police discovered one pilot had consumed both substances. They tested a total of 39 pilots for alcohol and 15 of them for drugs, finding one pilot positive for both. The police took the pilot into custody and initiated legal proceedings, Kaski police reported.
Kaski Police Chief SP Shyam Babu Oli said police conducted surprise tests after receiving complaints that paragliding pilots consumed alcohol and drugs. “We tested the pilots after someone informed us that pilots flying tourists were using drugs and alcohol,” he said. “Out of 39 pilots we tested, we confirmed that one had consumed both drugs and alcohol.”
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He emphasized the need to keep paragliding flights safe. “The safety of tourists isn’t the only concern, pilots must be safe as well. Pilots cannot fly under the influence of drugs and alcohol,” he said. “The activity can only be sustainable when operations are safe.” He added that since paragliding is an adventurous activity, it demands even stricter safety measures.
He said the multi-drug test kit delivers results within five minutes to determine if someone has consumed drugs or alcohol. He explained that the police conducted the drug test using a urine sample. "We want to ensure paragliding flights are safe. Since this is an important tourist attraction in Pokhara, keeping it safe protects both tourists and pilots," Oli said. "No reason should ever make this popular adventurous activity unsafe."
Anil KC, president of the Nepal Air Sports Association (NA), the umbrella organization for paragliding operators, said pilots must not fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol to ensure the safety of both pilots and tourists. He said that although people frequently complained in previous years about pilots flying after consuming drugs and alcohol, authorities had not conducted any tests. However, this time, the association conducted tests to raise awareness among the pilots.
He said, "We conducted tests for the first time right at the takeoff point to check whether pilots had consumed drugs or alcohol. Before issuing licenses, we (NA (Non-Aviation)) also conduct thorough health examinations." He added, "We also perform health checks when pilots renew their licenses. Still, pilots may consume substances in between." Pilots must renew their paragliding licenses every year. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) provides a manual that authorizes NA to issue licenses for pilots.
“We regulate from time to time, but our efforts alone cannot cover everything,” he said. He explained that authorities now test pilots for drug and alcohol use to ensure paragliding flights remain safe. “Earlier, people got away with anything, but now no one is exempt. Any incident impacts the entire tourism sector,” he added. He said 57 companies in Pokhara currently hold permits to operate paragliding flights. These companies employ 260 pilots, but due to a shortage of tourists, they conduct only around 140 flights daily at most.
