Shimla Admn & NDRF conducts rescue drill on Shimla-Jakhu Ropeway, 3 rescued
Shimla, Oct 25
The Shimla District administration, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and State Disaster Management Authority, executed a joint mock rescue operation on the Shimla-Jakhu Ropeway this Wednesday.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Joyoti Rana revealed that as part of the Disaster Management Smart Abhiyan, NDRF, SDRF, Home Guard, and various other departments, including Health and Fire, actively participated in the mock drill.
During the drill, three individuals who were simulated to be stranded on the ropeway’s span were safely evacuated from the mid-span and brought down to the ground within just half an hour.
Madan Sharma, the Manager of Jackson Company operating the Jackson Ropeway project, emphasized the rigorous safety measures in place. Routine safety checks are conducted every six months, and there are auxiliary motors to replace the span motor in case of failure. Additionally, a 250 kv special generator set is installed for emergency situations.
The district administration’s motive for this mock drill was to be well-prepared for any future emergencies, and all project staff are actively engaged in these readiness exercises.
The Shimla-Jakhu Ropeway, commissioned on April 10, 2017, is the fourth mid-air escalator in the town, serving both tourists and locals, ferrying them from Richmond to the picturesque Jakhu hilltop.
Notably, the state government has previously faced Ropeway emergencies, including two incidents in Parwanoo Timbertrail, one of which tragically resulted in a fatality. However, the recent rescue operations conducted by SDRF and NDRF successfully saved numerous stranded tourists.
On this occasion, Sub Divisional Officer Shimla Urban Bhanu Gupta, District Revenue Officer Sanjit Sharma, Inspector Sujit Mishra in-charge of NDRF team, DSP Gulshan Negi in-charge of SDRF team, Senior Platoon Commander Sunil Dutt Sharma in-charge of Home Guard team and officers of various departments and companies were present. Officers and engineers were present.
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