Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 13: Bringing an end to several years long uncertainty, the Supreme Court has cleared the passenger aerial ropeway project of Jammu by endorsing the recommendations of its Central Empowered Committee. However, work on the project cannot be started immediately as land for this ambitious project has not been acquired by the concerned authorities till date despite availability of sufficient funds to pay the compensation.
Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that a Bench of Supreme Court on November 11 gave clearance to the Mubarak Mandi Ropeway Project after detailed examination of the recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee, which had inspected the site of the project on June 3 this year to see whether this project would have any impact on the environment.
“Right from the day the Central Empowered Committee’s visit, the State Government was optimistic about the positive decision and with the clearance of the Supreme Court several years long uncertainty on the project has finally come to an end”, sources said.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation is not in a position to immediately start work on the project as land acquisition process has yet not been completed by the Revenue authorities. Moreover, the project is yet to be cleared by the State Forest Advisory Committee, which had stated that its decision would be based on the decision of the Supreme Court on the project, sources said.
In response to a question, sources said, “though there would not be much delay in the clearance of the project by the State Forest Advisory Committee and transfer of land yet delay in acquisition of private land may delay the work on the project despite Supreme Court’s clearance”.
“As the State Government was optimistic about positive decision from the Apex Court it should have geared up the Revenue authorities for getting the land acquisition process expedited”, they said while expressing hope that with the Supreme Court clearance in hand the concerned authorities would redouble their efforts in acquiring the private land.
They further said, “since the fate of the project remained hanging in balance, the cost of the project is likely to be escalated beyond Rs 40 crore”. They, however, stressed that Government should not allow cost escalation to become latest hurdle in start of the work on the project, which assumes much importance vis-à-vis retaining tourists in Jammu city. “It was only because of this objective that the project was conceived”, sources added.
The project has already been allotted to Damodar Rope Way Constructions, a Kolkata based firm, which will construct 1600-meter long ropeway between Pir Khoo (Mubarak Mandi) to Mahamaya Temple and Shahbad near Bahu Fort in association with a Turkey based company having expertise in the field.
The base of the passenger aerial ropeway will be near Peer Kho and the terminating point will be close to Bagh-e-Bahu. The alignment of the project had to be slightly changed keeping in view the guidelines of Archaeological Survey of India which state that no construction can be raised within 100 meters of the heritage sites.
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