Bahu Fort ropeway project becomes reality

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 27

The much-awaited Bahu Fort-Mahamaya ropeway project finally became a reality on Monday after Lt-Governor Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated it here.

Members of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma and Shamsher Singh Manhas, First Lady of J&K Smita Murmu, Chief Secretary BVR Subramanyam, Jammu Municipal Corporation Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta and other senior officers were present at the inauguration ceremony.

Planned in 1995, the Rs 75-crore project was to be operated from ancient Bahu Fort to Mubarak Mandi Complex initially. The project was modified and relocated when Mubarak Mandi and Bahu Fort were declared protected monuments.

According to the Tourism Department, all major facilities, including restaurants, walkways, lawns and parking, have been created at the ropeway project. “The ropeway will boost pilgrimage tourism in Jammu as it connects three temples — Jamvant Gufa Peerkho, Mahamaya Temple and Bahu Fort Temple,” a senior official of the Tourism Department said.

Work on the project began in June 2015 and was executed by the J&K Cable Car Corporation. This is the fourth cable car project in the Jammu and Kashmir — the first one of the UT was commissioned in 1988 in Gulmarg, Kashmir.

The 1.57-km-long cable car project has two sections — Section-I from Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park having length of 1,184 metres and Section-II from Bahu to Mahamaya Park having length of 484 metres. There is no tower on Bahu to Mahamaya Park, while there are seven towers between Peer Kho to Mahamaya Park.