Gulmarg Gondola resumes after month-long suspension; CM says passenger safety was priority

Omar announces Rs 50,000 reward for rescue staff, regularisation

Waris Fayaz

Gulmarg, Jun 25: After remaining suspended for a month following a technical fault that left more than 300 tourists stranded mid-air, the Gulmarg Gondola resumed operations on Thursday, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asserting that safety considerations took precedence over pressure for an early reopening. He announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each for employees who led the mid-air rescue, besides regularisation of six cable car workers.

The Chief Minister formally flagged off the service at Gulmarg and said the government ensured that all repairs and maintenance procedures were vetted and certified by the original equipment manufacturer, POMA, before allowing operations to resume.

Speaking to reporters, CM Omar said an interim report submitted by the inquiry committee formed after the May 25 incident was examined by the company, which subsequently inspected the repairs and maintenance work carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation.

“Only after the company was satisfied and certified the service and maintenance procedures did we decide to restart the gondola,” he said.

Abdullah said the faulty gearbox responsible for the disruption had been replaced within four to five days of the incident by the Cable Car Corporation, but the government deliberately refrained from rushing the reopening process.

“If we wanted, the Gondola could have been restarted on the fifth day itself. But we decided there would be no haste. Passenger safety was the priority, and the service was resumed only after all clearances were obtained,” he said.

The Gondola has remained non-operational since May 25, when a technical snag halted services and left more than 300 tourists stranded in cabins suspended above the ground. The incident triggered panic among visitors and led to a large-scale rescue operation involving technical teams and emergency responders. The evacuation process continued for several hours before all passengers were safely brought to the ground.

Recalling the incident, the Chief Minister said local rescuers and Gondola employees played a crucial role in evacuating stranded passengers before security and disaster response agencies completed the operation.

“Nearly 52 cabins were hanging on the cable, and more than 40 of them were evacuated by local volunteers and rescuers. The people who did the real work did not get the recognition they deserved. Today, I thanked them,” he said.

In recognition of their efforts, the CM announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each for employees of the Gulmarg Gondola Project who participated in the rescue operation. He described the reward as a token of appreciation for their commitment and courage during the emergency.

He also announced the regularisation of six cable car employees who were part of the rescue effort and said additional workers would be regularised in a phased manner.

Omar expressed satisfaction over the resilience of the tourism sector during the month-long suspension, saying fears that Gulmarg would witness a sharp decline in visitors did not materialise.

“We were worried that Gulmarg might become empty after the gondola was shut. That did not happen. Tourists continued to visit, and tourism activities carried on. With the reopening of the gondola, we expect tourist arrivals to increase further,” he said.

The Chief Minister also took a Gondola ride to Phase I at Kongdoori, where he personally inspected the system and reviewed the extensive restoration works undertaken following a recent technical malfunction.

During the visit, officials from the J&K Cable Car Corporation briefed the CM on the technical specifics of the restoration and the stringent safety audits conducted before clearing the service for public use.

Expressing his appreciation for the dedication of the entire corporation staff, Abdullah applauded their round-the-clock efforts in restoring this vital infrastructure project—one of the country’s premier tourist attractions—within a remarkably short span of time.

During the visit, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Gulmarg Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla, Managing Director of the J&K Cable Car Corporation Syed Qamar Sajad, the CEO of the Gulmarg Development Authority, and other senior officers—(KNO)