Newly Constructed Ropeway Collapses During Trial Run In Bihar, No Injuries Reported

Rohtas: A newly constructed ropeway worth Rs 13 crore, which was scheduled to be inaugurated on New Year's Day, collapsed during its second trial run in Bihar's Rohtas district on Friday, raising serious safety concerns.

The ropeway, aimed at facilitating access to the ancient Rohtasgarh Fort and Rohiteshwar Dham temple, had ​​successfully completed its first trial.

The second trial began today in the presence of engineers and technical experts. As soon as the empty cabin was sent towards Rohtasgarh Fort from Akbarpur, the pillar supporting the ropeway suddenly fell followed by several other pillars in quick succession and within a few minutes, the entire ropeway, including the cabin and all machinery, collapsed. Fortunately, no passengers were present in the cabin when the incident occurred.

According to officials, the ropeway was scheduled to be inaugurated on New Year's Day. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone for the ropeway, worth Rs 13.65 crore, in 2019 and the construction began on February 12, 2020.

People of the area were waiting eagerly for this ropeway as it was supposed to reduce a 70-kilometre journey to just a few minutes. Also, this would have greatly facilitated access for devotees and tourists visiting the temple and the fort.

Trials were being conducted with the trolleys by Kolkata-based Ropeway & Resources Private Limited. Several agencies were involved in the construction, with different companies handling tasks such as cable pulling, ticket counters, station construction, and electrical systems.

The ropeway, approximately 1324 metres long, has five towers. The section between the third and fourth towers has an incline of about 40 degrees, which was expected to provide a particularly thrilling experience for passengers. The empty capacity of the trolley is 250 kg, and the loaded capacity is 570 kg. Currently, 12 trolleys were being used for the trial and there were plans to add more trolleys if needed.

Despite several technical hurdles and difficulties, the ropeway project was almost complete, but the collapse has raised serious questions about the construction and quality of work.

"This project has fallen victim to corruption. The dreams of the local people have been shattered. It was a dream project of the Chief Minister and meant to promote tourism. The way the ropeway collapsed during the trial indicates gross negligence and a thorough investigation should be conducted. Strict action should be taken against those responsible," said Torab Niazi, a local resident.

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