Jharkhand Ropeway Tragedy Highlights The Many Lapses Of Safety Standards In India

The three-day-long Jharkhand Ropeway rescue operation ended on April 12. However, the incident shed light on the efficiency of the organizations that allow flawed systems to 'satisfactorily' pass the safety and audit checks. Experts who conducted the audit on the Deogarh ropeway said that the ropeway was fine when the safety was completed last month. The government-backed agency had cleared the ropeway after mentioning in the report that there were '24 flaws or initiation of flaws' and the concerned authorities must maintain a close watch on the steel ropeway that carried trolleys. Out of 59 people who got stuck due to the collision, 56 were rescued through helicopter operations, while three died.

Report Mentioned Ropeway In 'Satisfactory' Condition

The recent incident has raised eyebrows over the safety standards of other ropeways in several country states. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has emphasized the maintenance of the ropeway on the Brahmaputra River to ensure no possibility of a similar incident.

Similar incidents have also occurred in the past at the Mussoorie ropeway services. After the Jharkhand tragedy that claimed three lives, safety and audit report came to light that mentioned the condition of the ropeway as 'satisfactory', The Times of India reported.

Advised To Closely Monitor Joint Portions

However, the report also mentioned that the authority must closely monitor the joint portions of the ropeway. However, the audit did not examine the aspect of the fatigue due to haulage, which may have developed in the seven-year-old rope. Moreover, State Disaster Management Minister Banna Gupta confirmed that there had been some lapses but assured the families of the deceased that stringent action would be taken to ensure justice.

However, one cannot fail but question the efficiency of agencies that carry out safety checks and finalize the audit reports. Even though the government allocates funds to ensure safe and sound adventure activities, lapses occur.

The companies managing the ropeways must conduct safety checks once or twice every day, and strict periodic inspections by the government must ensure that all the safety standards are in place to avoid mishaps.

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