Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Aug 27: After witnessing huge fall, the revenue of Makhdoom Sahab ropeway has shown manifold increase for last two months while the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) Limited has installed satellite cameras
The 550 meter ropeway was built at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.5 crore by Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) through Kolkatta based Ropeway and Resorts Pvt Limited in year 2013. At present, there are eight cabins, four on each side, which run on the double ropeway which ferries more than 250 passengers per hour.
The ropeway system connects the centuries old shrine of revered sufi saint and scholar Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom Sahib. After two years of its inauguration, the ropeway remained grounded for around six months due to ‘major technical snag’. Also, the locals raised multiple objections to the ropeway which ultimately led to the grounding of the ropeway which was publicized heavily by the concerned department.
Although the Makhdoom Sahab ropeway service was resumed later but it could not attract the devotees and tourists and the revenue generation was negligible. The JKCCC has fixed ticket price of Rs. 60 per head for T1 and Rs. 50 for T2. Officials of the Cable Cable Corporation said the situation some three months ago was very bad vis-à-vis sale of tickets. “At times, the sale was just few hundred rupees,” they said, adding that since June, the situation has changed.
“We witnessed flow of local devotees since June, when Islamic month of Ramadhan commenced, due to our advertisement on television. The revenue ever since then has increased,” said Managing Director of JKCCC, Shamim Ahmad Wani. He said the average per day revenue of the Makhdoom ropeway now remains around Rs 2500 to Rs 3000. “We normally see flow of devotees on Monday and Thursday every week,” he said, adding that the sale of tickets even go upto Rs. 9000 to Rs 10000 per day.
The MD JKCCC said that the revenue could have been higher had the situation remained peaceful and normal in Kashmir this year.
The senior official said that they have installed satellite linked surveillance cameras for monitoring day-to-day business of Makhdoom Sahab ropway. “Such cameras have been introduced first time in any tourism related department. The aim of these real time surveillance cameras linked with satellite is to create accountability and credibility,” the MD of the JKCCC said, adding “we have such surveillance system at Gulmarg also and we can monitor at both places anytime from anywhere”.
Officials said various other steps are being taken to attract devotees and visitors towards Makhdoom Sahab ropeway. “We are upgrading the infrastructure for the convenience of devotees and other visitors. We will replace existing cabins with new ones. We have also constructed new bathrooms for the public inconvenience and we will do more,” they added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel