Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, May 26: Cable Car Corporation Managing Director, Syed Qamar Sajjad today said that Gulmarg Gondola services will remain suspended until the system is declared completely safe and restored fully following a technical snag that stranded nearly 300 tourists in mid-air.
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Speaking to reporters after taking stock of the situation following the rescue operations, Sajjad said the corporation would not compromise tourist safety for revenue generation.
“We are not going to run the Gondola on the risk of tourists just for earning revenues. We will restart operations only when we are fully satisfied that it is safe and secure for tourists, service providers and everyone associated with it,” he said.
The MD said all tourists who booked tickets for the affected days will get a 100 percent refund. “The tourists who could not avail the Gondola service today and during the suspension period will be given full refunds, just like we did after the post-Pahalgam episode,” he added.
Sajjad said the problem was caused by a technical and mechanical snag, including a gearbox issue. He said the engineering and maintenance teams are inspecting the system to find out whether the gearbox or other spare parts need replacement.
“This is a major mechanical system involving cabins, cables and electrical systems. Our engineering experts are examining the exact reason behind the snag which forced us to stop operations,” he said.
According to Sajjad, it may take at least one to two days to inspect the system and complete the necessary repairs before operations resume.
The MD said the incident led to a major rescue operation after several Gondola cabins got stranded in mid-air. He said there were 63 cabins in total, including one trolley cabin without passengers. Around 62 cabins carrying nearly 280 tourists were affected.
Six rescue teams of the Cable Car Corporation carried out a vertical rescue operation and safely evacuated all passengers by around 8 pm.
He said that during a recent meeting headed by the Chief Minister Omar Anbdullah, it was decided to procure the latest rescue systems for the Gondola, and the corporation is already receiving offers for upgraded equipment.
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