Patna: A major incident occurred during the trial of the Rohtasgarh Ropeway Project in Bihar’s Rohtas district on Friday, raising serious questions over construction quality and safety standards.
The ropeway, built to facilitate access to the ancient Rohtasgarh Fort and Rohiteshwar Dham Temple, collapsed during its second trial run, just days before its scheduled inauguration.
According to information, the ropeway project had reached its final stage, and an initial trial had been conducted successfully.
However, during the second trial conducted on Friday, multiple supporting pillars collapsed, causing the ropeway cabin to plunge down the hillside.
Fortunately, no passengers were inside the cabin at the time, narrowly averting a major disaster.
The trial was being carried out in the presence of engineers and technical experts.
As soon as the empty cabin was sent from Akbarpur towards Rohtasgarh Fort, a supporting pillar collapsed after a short distance.
This triggered a chain reaction, leading to the collapse of several other pillars.
Within moments, the entire ropeway system, including the cabin and machinery, came crashing down.
Following the incident, serious concerns are being raised about the quality of construction.
Allegations of corruption linked to the project have also surfaced, as the ropeway collapsed even before completion of the trial phase.
The ropeway was scheduled to be inaugurated on New Year’s Day.
Construction had been underway for nearly six years, with a total project cost of Rs 13.65 crore.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone in 2019, making the collapse particularly embarrassing for the administration.
Local residents have expressed deep disappointment, as the project was seen as a dream initiative that would significantly boost tourism and ease travel for devotees.
The ropeway was expected to reduce a seven-kilometre journey to just a few minutes, providing convenient access to the hilltop fort and temple.
The project trial was being conducted by Kolkata-based firm.
Multiple agencies were involved in different aspects of construction, including cable installation, station construction, ticket counters, and electrical systems, which are now also under scrutiny.
The ropeway is nearly 1,324 metre long and consists of five towers, including two support towers.
The section between the third and fourth towers has a steep incline of nearly 40 degrees, which was expected to be a major attraction for tourists.
The construction work began on February 12, 2020.
The empty capacity of each trolley is 250 kg, while the loaded capacity is 570 kg.
Initially, 12 trolleys were installed for trials, with plans to add more if required.
Authorities have not yet announced responsibility for the collapse, but an investigation will take place.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked widespread debate over safety, accountability, and transparency in government infrastructure projects.
(IANS)
