Gulmarg: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday flagged off the resumption of the Gulmarg Gondola services, ending a month-long suspension of one of Kashmir’s premier tourist attractions.
According to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), cable car service had remained suspended since May 25 following heavy rainfall and a technical fault in the first phase of the gondola system.
Soon after the reopening, tourists began availing the service, bringing relief to visitors and stakeholders in the tourism sector who had been affected by the prolonged suspension.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the restored services at the famous ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and expressed hope that the Gondola would continue to attract tourists from across the country and abroad.
The suspension followed an incident on May 25 when adverse weather conditions coupled with a technical snag forced the suspension of operations, leaving more than 300 tourists stranded in 65 cabins.
A joint rescue operation involving the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched, and all stranded tourists were evacuated safely after several hours. No injuries were reported during the operation.
The Gulmarg Gondola, among the highest cable car projects in the world, remains one of Kashmir’s biggest tourist attractions and a key pillar of the region’s tourism industry.
Officials told KNO that all mandatory safety checks, technical inspections, and trial runs were successfully completed before the service was restored to ensure safe operations—(KNO)
