Back-to-back trials on both sections already conducted
*All agencies asked to work in coordinated manner
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 18: In a major development, the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has issued directions for completion of all the formalities for start of Jammu ropeway within next 10 days. Moreover, all the concerned agencies have been asked to work in coordinate manner so that project is dedicated to public without any further delay.
The directions were issued by the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu during visit to the project yesterday along with Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma, Secretary Tourism Department Zubair Ahmed and other concerned officers.
The Lieutenant Governor was satisfied with the facilities created by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation for the tourists/visitors at all the three terminal stations. However, he was concerned over inordinate delay in completion of procedural formalities for the commercial operations of the ropeway, sources privy to the observations of the Lieutenant Governor told the EXCELSIOR.
On being informed that a technical committee has yet not furnished its final report even after getting replies to its earlier observations from Project Management Consultancy, Designer, Executing Agency and Project Authority, the Lieutenant Governor passed directions for completion of all the pending formalities within a period of 7 to 10 days so that project could be dedicated to the public without further delay, sources informed.
It is pertinent to mention here that the technical committee had asked these agencies to certify that the alignment of the ropeway is perfect from commercial operations point of view and had conveyed that Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation can run the project subject to certain conditions.
“Though specific replies have been furnished vis-à-vis conditions mentioned by the technical committee yet final report is still pending and now Lieutenant Governor wants completion of every remaining formality within next 7 to 10 days so as to pave the way for dedication of project to the public”, sources said, adding he has also asked all the concerned authorities to work in coordinated manner so that commercial operations of the ropeway are started within shortest possible time.
They disclosed that even Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu has given design for strengthening the foundation of towers of the ropeway in the River Tawi bed after the Cable Car Corporation approached it on the instructions of concerned engineers and the work will be completed before March ending. Even otherwise the foundations of the towers of the ropeway have been constructed by strictly following the IRC code.
According to the sources, the Cable Car Corporation has already conducted back-to-back trials on both the sections of the ropeway. The Section-I from Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park is having length of 1184 meters and Section-II from Bahu to Mahamaya Park is having length of 484 meters. While there is no tower on Bahu to Mahamaya Park section there are seven towers between Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park.
On Section-II, trial for 584 hours has been successfully conducted till date while as 438 hours trial has been conducted on Section-I of the ropeway which will have 30 cabins—22 on Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park Section and eight on Bahu to Mahamaya Park with each having capacity to carry six persons at a time.
When contacted, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Sanjeev Verma confirmed that Lieutenant Governor has issued directions for completion of all pending formalities within next 7 to 10 days to pave the way for start of commercial operations of the ropeway.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the month of January last year rescue trolley crashed all of a sudden near Mahamaya Park Terminal Station leading to death of two persons and injuries to four others.
Soon after the accident, Government ordered immediate stopping of work on all the components and magisterial enquiry to ascertain the cause(s) behind the tragedy. Thereafter, technical committee was constituted for inspection of project and submission of report on its safety parameters.
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