Govt plans to open Bahu-Mahamaya Section for visitors shortly
Winter capital gets major facility to attract tourists
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 9: Finally, Jammu Ropeway Project, which has the potential to attract large number of tourists as well as local population, is ready for launch anytime after the technical inspection by a group of engineers constituted by the Government. The ropeway is among series of developmental projects planned to be commissioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his forthcoming visit to the State.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the month of February 2014 but Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation could formally start work in June 2015 because of unreasonably long time taken by different Government agencies in granting mandatory clearances to the project.
The owners of the land, which came under the project, too created one after another obstacle in the start of the work on different grounds including quantum of compensation and some of them even succeeded in obtaining stay orders from the High Court.
However, several years long wait to have a facility which would attract tourists in large number is over with Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation completing work on the project and allied works at all the places—Peer Kho, Mahamaya Park and Bahu.
The project has two sections—Section-I from Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park having length of 1184 meters and Section-II from Bahu to Mahamaya Park having length of 484 meters. While there is no tower on Bahu to Mahamaya Park there are seven towers between Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park.
“The pre-commissioning trials on Bahu to Mahamaya Park Section have already been completed while as full load trials on Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park are being conducted regularly as per the Standard Operating Procedure and will be completed shortly”, Shamim Ahmad, Managing Director of J&K State Cable Car Corporation told visiting EXCELSIOR team.
The visiting EXCELSIOR team noticed that work on almost all the components of the project has been completed by the Corporation and finishing touches are being given at Bahu, Mahamaya Park and Peer Kho Terminal Stations.
The Corporation was found ready for commissioning of the project anytime following technical inspection of all the critical components by the group of engineers constituted by the Governor’s Administration two days back. The group of engineers has been explicitly conveyed by the State Government that technical inspection of Section-II (Bahu to Mahamaya Park) should be completed as early as possible.
It has reliably been learnt that Governor’s Administration is planning to throw open Section-II for the visitors soon after the commissioning of the project by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his forthcoming visit to the State. This has been decided on the ground that full load trials on Peer-Kho to Mahamaya Park are still going on.
For Bahu-Mahamaya Park-Bahu ropeway ride the Corporation has planned to charge Rs 300 per person while as for Bahu-Mahamaya Park or Mahamaya Park-Bahu ride Rs 200 per person will be charged.
There are 22 cabins on Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park section and eight on Bahu to Mahamaya Park and each cabin has the capacity to carry six persons at a time. These cabins have been procured from M/s Gangloff of Switzerland while as ropes have been supplied by Austria company. Almost all the critical components of the project have been purchased from Turkey company.
The landscaping around all the three stations and construction of viewing decks and approach roads has already been completed by the Cable Car Corporation. Moreover, finishing touches are being given to allied works like cafeteria, wooden viewing decks, souvenir shops and washrooms at all the three stations of the project.
In the shape of this project, winter capital has received major facility for the attraction of tourists as the amenities created at all the three stations are sufficient enough for the convenience of the visitors. “Now, it is to be seen how the Tourism Department Jammu promotes this project to attract as many as tourists as possible”, official sources said while disclosing that several plans in this regard are already under discussion.
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