A river rafting expedition, jointly organised by the Indian Army and Dirang (West Kameng)-based National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS), was flagged off from Pachi in East Kameng district. This major expedition will attempt to cover all the seven major rivers of Arunachal, starting from Kameng to Subansiri, Nao Dihing, Lohit, Dibang, Siyom and Siyang.

The joint expedition team, led by NIMAS Director Col Sarfraz Singh, comprises 25 trained army rafters, NIMAS instructors, and local youths of the state. “The expedition is likely to take less than 30 days to cover more than 600 kms of rafting experience in the unexplored areas of Arunachal,” said Col Singh.

The expedition aims at promoting adventure tourism in Arunachal Pradesh. NIMAS is an autonomous institute under the Indian Ministry of Defence, which provides specialized training in mountain rescue, mountaineering and adventure sports. The institute founded by the government of Arunachal Pradesh is located in Dirang in West Kameng district. It is the first national institute of India mandated to conduct adventure courses in the field of land, air and aqua.