From correspondents in Himachal Pradesh, India, 02:31 PM IST

Himachal Pradesh has banned river rafting till Sep 15 due to a rise in water level in rivers, an official said Wednesday.

Kumud Singh, the tourism development officer in Kullu district, said the ban was imposed Tuesday under the River Rafting Act of 2005 to prevent accidents.

Many tourists throng Kullu valley every year for river rafting, the best time for which is summer or the monsoon season.

'This season more than 5,000 tourists, including foreigners, experienced river rafting in Beas river,' said Kumud Singh.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)