L-G Sinha inaugurates 1.18km Peerkho-Mahamaya section of Jammu ropeway

Sinha directed officers to devise a standard operating procedure for periodic inspection of the ropeway and to maintain the highest safety standards, while being mindful of the ecology.

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the 1.18km Peerkho-Mahamaya section of the Jammu ropeway project on Friday.

People travel through the ropeway service from Pirkho to Mahamaya in Jammu on Friday. (PTI)

The Lt Guv said the ropeway will help boost tourism in Jammu and Kashmir and give a fillip to the socio-economic development of the region by generating direct and indirect livelihood opportunities for locals.

“The Jammu ropeway will be a major tourist attraction in the region. It will also add to the aesthetics of Jammu city,” the L-G said, adding that the section will complete the religious tourism circuit comprising Peerkho, Mahamaya, and Bahu Temples.

Sinha directed officers to devise a standard operating procedure for periodic inspection of the ropeway and to maintain the highest safety standards, while being mindful of the ecology.

In January 2019, two labourers had died and four others were injured after a rescue trolley crashed during a trial. The ropeway project includes a restaurant, walkways, lawns, public utilities, parking space, and some recreational facilities.

The Jammu ropeway is a hybrid system, the critical components of which have been imported and integrated with the Indian system. The project that cost ₹75.83 crores comprises two sections between Peerkho (below Mubarak Mandi) and Mahamaya at a distance of 1.184 km and another between Mahamaya Temple and Bahu at a distance of 0.485km.

Sinha said the new facility will complement the government’s efforts for effective solid waste management, and will contribute towards the Swachh Bharat Mission.