NDRF conducts safety inspection of Hirakud Ropeway

Sambalpur: A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted a safety inspection of the ropeway located at the Hirakud dam site in Odisha's Sambalpur district, an official said.

Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) Enforcement Officer Subhankar Mohanty said the SMC had moved the NDRF for inspection of the ropeway and subsequently they visited the site recently.

While inspections are conducted annually, this was for the first time that a 30-member team of NDRF accompanied by their commander visited the site to assess the ropeway.

The team inspected various aspects including the tower height, rope, trolley, hook and other things. Moreover, they also conducted a mock drill and trained the ropeway staff on how to respond if any mishap occurs, he said.

The ropeway connects Jawahar Udyan with Gandhi Minar at the Hirakud dam site. Jawahar Udyan is a picturesque park below the Hirakud Dam. The Gandhi Minar is a watch tower which provides a bird’s eye view of the vast Hirakud reservoir and the dam. Twelve trolleys ferry between Jawahar Udyan and Gandhi Minar under the ropeway service, which started operation in 2019. Each trolley can accommodate 4 persons.

"The NDRF team has provided some suggestions to enhance safety. We will comply with those suggestions at the earliest," said Mohanty.

A Kolkata-based firm, Damodar Ropeway & Infra Limited (DRIL) installed the 421 metre long ropeway project, which the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) runs. The maintenance of the ropeway has been assigned to Damodar Ropeways.

"The ropeway service here witnessed a large footfall during the tourist season...," said an official of the SMC.