look news india
There is great news for the adventure lovers of Delhi-NCR and the tourists looking for something new on weekends. The dream of admiring the beautiful embankments and lush greenery of Yamuna while floating among the clouds in the sky of the capital is now going to come true once again. Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is all set to restart its much-talked about ‘Tethered Hot Air Balloon Ride’ at Baansera Park in Sarai Kale Khan from 14th November. This service was temporarily stopped in the month of March due to rising temperatures and strong winds, which is now being brought back on track with new adventures and major changes with the pleasant start of winter.
In North India, the time from November to February is considered most suitable for aero-sports and ballooning activities due to calm winds and clear skies. To take advantage of this favorable weather, DDA has decided to reopen this ride for the general public on 14th November on the occasion of Children’s Day. Bansera Park, developed on the Yamuna floodplain near Sarai Kale Khan, is Delhi’s first bamboo theme park, where more than 25,000 special bamboo saplings have been planted. From the open ground of this park, a giant hot air balloon is taken up into the sky in a controlled manner with the help of strong steel cables, from where tourists get to see a 360-degree panoramic view of the Barapula Elevated Corridor, Sarai Kale Khan, Millennium Depot and Yamuna River.
The biggest relief for those wishing to take a hot air balloon trip is going to be on the fare front. When the service was launched last year, the fare per person was fixed at around ₹2,300. Due to the high rates, many middle class families and youth could not enjoy it and the ride was limited to weekends only. This time, to attract more and more people, the organizers and DDA have made a strategy to keep the ticket rates much lower and affordable than the last season. Although the formal notification of the new rates will be released in a few days, but according to sources, it is being made pocket-friendly so that school children and common families can also see the view of Delhi from the sky without spending heavily.
This is not a free-floating balloon that goes away with the wind, but a ‘tethered balloon’ system. This means that the hot air balloon is attached to a heavy winch crane tied to the ground by a strong steel cable. This balloon goes straight up in the air to a height of about 100 to 150 feet. The total duration of a flight is usually between 7 and 12 minutes. Only 4 passengers and a trained pilot are allowed in the balloon basket at a time, strictly following the safety standards. After reaching such a height, when the hot air burner cools down, standing still in the air without any noise and watching the hustle and bustle of the city below is an unforgettable experience.
This time the digital system is being implemented to remove the crowd at the ticket counter and uncertainty about the dates in the last season. The organizers are going to launch a dedicated online booking portal and mobile ticketing system, where people will be able to book their date and preferred time-slot of morning or evening from the comfort of their homes. Balloon ride operations depend on weather and air pressure, so the slots from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm are the most popular. With the online arrangement, tourists will know in advance on which day the weather conditions are favorable for flight, which will save both their time and travel.
DDA had earlier prepared a plan to start hot air balloon rides at Asita Park, Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex located on the banks of Yamuna. But plans to expand beyond Bansera have been put on hold for the time being pending technical review, security clearances and strict safety protocols of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This means that from November 14, Bansera Park will be the only official and safe center for air walking in Delhi. Due to Pink Line being just a few minutes away from Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin Metro Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, it is very easy for the people of Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad to reach here.