In order to ensure effective utilisation of the Material Ropeway installed between Siar Dabri and Bhawan, Mr. Ramesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board reviewed the various aspects of its operational activities at a meeting held at Katra today.
The Material Ropeway, installed by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, facilitates quick and eco-friendly transportation of key construction material and other items like food stuffs, water, etc. from Katra to Bhawan for facilitation of the pilgrims. On the return journey, the material Ropeway is designed for ferrying scrap and other waste material for disposal.
The operational aspects of the Material Ropeway which came up for discussion in the meeting, interalia, included operations and finalisation of comprehensive SOP for the ropeway, integration of store software with Lower and Upper Terminal Points and other Units at Bhawan, installation of CCTV Cameras at the stations at Lower and Upper Terminal Points at Siar Dabri and Bhawan respectively besides all the four towers of the ropeway, establishment of intercom system between LTP and UTP stations for smooth communication, putting in place mechanical means for loading, unloading and transportation of material at LTP Siar Dabri and UTP Bhawan stations, augmenting facilities for storage of material at LTP Siar Dabri etc. In addition to the above, the facility of the Material Ropeway will also be extended to the interested private vendors operating at Bhawan. A technical team of the Shrine Board was also constituted for technical supervision during the Operation and Maintenance of the ropeway by the concerned agency.
The Material Ropeway, at an average, is presently ferrying around 10,000 kg of material from Siar Dabri to Bhawan per day, as per the requirements in view of the lean yatra season. It is pertinent to mention that the Material Ropeway, which is electrically operated, covers a distance of 3 km between Siar Dabri and Bhawan in about 17 minutes. The ropeway has reduced the logistics of ferrying materials, food stuffs, etc, even during peak rush of the pilgrimage, thereby enhancing the convenience of the yatris on the tracks.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board emphasised the need for effective and optimal utilisation of the carrying capacity of the Material Ropeway.
Among those who participated in the meeting included concerned officers and engineers of the Shrine Board as well as Site Engineer of M/s RITES Limited and Incharge Operation and Maintenance, M/s Space Age, Siar Dabri.