The Darjeeling ropeway, one of the most popular haunts for tourists at Singamari in the Hill town, resumed services on Sunday after a gap of around nine months. A trial run was conducted on Saturday by the staff of the Conveyor and Ropeway Services Private Limited (CRSPL), which operates the cable cars from Singamari to Vah Tukvar.
“We conducted trial runs with load and also checked everything today. Everything is in perfect order and we are happy about it. A few tourists who came to see the ropeway were lucky enough to take the rides. It was good to see the smile back on the faces of the tourists,” said Mingma Lama, the commercial manager of the CRSPL.
The ropeway is run jointly by the CRSPL and the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation Limited (WBFDCL). The ropeway shut services in April last year after the lease of the CRSPL for 20 years expired on 31 March last year, with the CRSPL maintaining that the lease should be extended as they could not function for many years during the 20-year period due to several reasons, including the political turmoil in the Hills.
The ropeway was previously closed following an accident in October 2003, which resulted in the death of four tourists. After a survey by the Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants (India) Limited (Mecon) and following a list of technical recommendations, including modern safety measures, the service resumed in 2012 after eight years.
“There were issues of NOC (No Objection Certificate) and renewal of the lease holding, but now everything has been sorted out, with the lease extended for five years,” Mr Lama said.
It may be added here that the WBFDCL provides the lease, but the mandatory NOC is given by the state’s PWD department.
Sources said that the NOC this time has been given for six months ~ from 1 January to 30 June, against the usual period of one year. “We are working on this issue with officials concerned, and are hoping for positives,” the commercial manager said.
The ropeway ride provides passengers with a 360 degree view of the surrounding tea gardens, the town area and the Kanchenjunga peak, while there are at present 12 gondolas, each with a capacity of carrying six passengers.
The 40-minute ride, covering 5km starts from the Singamari station, goes down to the Tukvar tea estate, where passengers can enjoy the scenic beauty, while also having local food in the stalls there.
On Saturday, at least 60 passengers took the ride. “We have been coming here (ropeway) for the past three days. Today, we got a surprise call from the hotel, which informed us that the ropeway service had started. We immediately got here and took the ride. It was a wonderful and memorable experience,” said a tourist from Kolkata, Soumya Das.
The Darjeeling ropeway fee is Rs 200 for adults, while children between the ages of 3 and 7 are charged Rs 100.