SRINAGAR: Two weeks after a technical malfunction left more than 300 tourists stranded mid air on the Gulmarg Gondola and triggered a massive rescue operation, authorities have indefinitely suspended operations of the famed cable car project in the world famous ski resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir.
The suspension has disrupted services since May 25, while tourism stakeholders say there has been a decline in visitor arrivals to the premier ski resort due to the closure of the gondola service.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC), which operates the cable car project in Gulmarg, has extended the closure of the Gulmarg Gondola indefinitely.
“The Gondola will remain closed for tourists until further notice as maintenance and safety assessments continue,” reads an official communiqué issued by the JKCCC.
The Gondola project in Gulmarg has remained non operational since May 25, when a technical snag halted services and trapped 320 tourists in 65 cabins mid air.
The tourists were rescued after an eight hour rescue operation jointly carried out by the Army, police, BSF and the local administration.
The Gulmarg Gondola, one of the world's highest cable car projects, operates in two phases. Phase 1 at Kongdori stands at 10,006 ft, while Phase 2 at Affarwat is situated at 12,959 ft above sea level.
The government has also constituted a five member committee to probe the technical malfunction of the gondola service.
The committee has been tasked with ascertaining and establishing the complete sequence of events that led to the technical failure of the cable car system.
It has also been directed to conduct a detailed technical examination of the malfunction and investigate the nature, cause and extent of the failure, including an examination of the mechanical, electrical, electronic, braking, communication, control and safety systems associated with the operation of the cable car project.
The committee will review existing operational procedures, SOPs, maintenance protocols, inspection mechanisms and safety procedures governing the functioning of the cable car system and assess whether they were adhered to at the time of the incident.
It will also examine whether any operational lapse or negligence contributed directly or indirectly to the incident.
The committee has further been mandated to identify responsibility for any act of negligence, procedural violation or failure on the part of any individual or agency associated with the functioning of the cable cars and recommend immediate corrective measures required for ensuring the safe operation and restoration of the cable car system.
Tourism stakeholders, meanwhile, said the gondola closure has affected tourist inflow to Gulmarg.
“The Gulmarg gondola is one of the major attractions for tourists in Gulmarg and its closure has affected tourist inflow to the Gulmarg resort,” said Sajad Ahmad Kralyari, Secretary General of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK).
He said tourists now do not prefer to stay overnight in Gulmarg as it does not have any other major adventure activity apart from the gondola.
“The authorities should introduce adventure activities like hot air ballooning and paragliding in the resort to give more options for the tourists visiting the destination,” Sajad added.