Material ropeway helping decongest shrine track

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, June 18

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on Monday said the Siar Dabri-Bhawan material ropeway had facilitated quick and eco-friendly transportation of prasad and various other items from Katra to the Vaishno Devi cave shrine (Bhawan). On the return journey to Katra, the wagons carry scrap and other items.

The ropeway, installed by the shrine board at a cost of Rs 12 crore, is the first-ever material ropeway of its kind installed in the state.

This ropeway, along with newly constructed Tarakote Marg between Katra and Adhkuwari, was formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister on May 19.

The operation of this material ropeway has enabled hassle-free transportation of construction and other materials from Siar Dabri to the shrine. This system, which has a carrying capacity of 5,000 kg per hour, will help decongest the existing track by reducing the logistics of ferrying materials and food stuffs. The decongestion of tracks will significantly enhance pilgrims’ convenience.

Governor NN Vohra, chairman of the shrine board, who has been personally monitoring the implementation of the shrine board’s infrastructure development projects, directed the CEO to ensure the maximum possible utilisation of the material ropeway, as per the Standard Operating Procedure, for better management of the pilgrimage.

The ropeway will also facilitate various service providers that operate in the shrine area by carrying their material at a reasonable rate.

Further, as part of central store decongestion plan at Banganga, a sub-store has been established at Siar Dabri near the material ropeway starting point which would significantly augment the storage buffer capacity.