The rope car at Rathnagiriswarar Temple atop Ayyarmalai hillock near Kulithalai is yet to be brought back to use after developing a technical snag.
The rope car was installed by the HR&CE department at a cost of ₹9.1 crore with the aim of helping devotees visit the shrine situated at a height of 1,178 feet.
The rope car services were commissioned on July 24 after a series of test trials. However, the department suspended the services on July 25, just a day after the facility was inaugurated. A few wheels of the car slipped, apparently due to strong winds. The devotees, who travelled in the car cabins, got stuck at a height of about 150 feet. Engineers and Fire and Rescue Services personnel had to rescue them.
Days after the incident, a technical team of officials of the HR&CE department visited the temple and conducted an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the derailment. They also held a meeting on steps to set right the issue. Similarly, a Kolkata-based company, which was assigned the task of installing the rope car system, also sent a team to study the issue.
Preliminary report indicated that the wheels of the cabins slipped apparently due to strong winds. Since wind velocity was found to be high in July, it was said that the rope car services would be resumed after July. However, the facility remained suspended.
When contacted a senior official told The Hindu that the technical committee that visited the temple had submitted its findings to the department. It had mentioned the reasons for the incident and the department was contemplating a few more steps to ensure the safety of the devotees. Steps would be taken to resume the services as early as possible.
Published - September 10, 2024 07:20 pm IST
