By Tehelka Web Desk
The Gulmarg Gondola, one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most popular tourist attractions, resumed operations on Thursday after remaining closed for a month following a technical malfunction that left hundreds of passengers stranded.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formally reopened the cable car service during his visit to the Gulmarg Cable Car Project in Baramulla district.
Addressing reporters, Abdullah said the gondola was reopened only after the completion of repairs, inspection, and safety certification.
“Gondola is working now. The interim report has arrived. Services resumed after the original manufacturer certified the maintenance and service works, based on the report and the inspection of the repair work,” Abdullah said.
He said the government deliberately delayed the reopening to ensure all safety protocols were followed.
“The Cable Car corporation replaced the gearbox within four or five days (of the incident). We could have resumed the service if we had wanted to rush it, but we deliberately decided to wait for the interim report and inspection,” he said.
Officials said tourists can now book gondola rides through the corporation’s official online portal.
The cable car service was suspended on May 25 after a technical snag halted operations, leaving more than 300 tourists and local guides stranded mid-air. A joint rescue operation involving the Army, police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) safely evacuated all those trapped.
Following the incident, the Jammu and Kashmir government constituted a five-member committee on June 10 to investigate the cause of the malfunction and submit its findings.
Commenting on tourism, Abdullah said Gulmarg continued to attract visitors despite the closure of the gondola.
“Even as the Gondola remained closed, people still came here. We were apprehensive that tourists might avoid Gulmarg because of its closure, but that wasn’t the case. People came here, and tourism flourished. Now that it has resumed, we hope there will be an increase in tourist arrivals,” he said.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the efforts of those involved in the rescue operation, noting that the Cable Car Corporation had rewarded them with Rs 50,000.
“We managed to empty the cable cars. There were about 52 cars. Over 40 of those were emptied, and volunteers rescued the stranded. The army and police accomplished the rest of the job. The media gave credit to others, but no one asked about those who did the real work. Today I thanked them and Cable Car gave them Rs 50,000 as an award to appreciate their work,” Abdullah said.
