The Kerala High Court has asked the State Government and the Sabarimala Ropeway Project consortium to respond to safety concerns about the planned ropeway from Pampa to Sannidhanam. This follows a petition raising issues about past safety failures linked to Eighteenth Step Damodar Cable Cars Private Limited, one of the companies involved in the project.
Concerns Highlighted in the Petition
Advocate Prashant K.P., a practicing lawyer at the Kerala High Court, filed a writ petition highlighting significant safety and governance concerns regarding the awarding of the Sabarimala Ropeway Project to Eighteenth Step Damodar Cable Cars Private Limited.
This consortium comprises Damodar Ropeways and Infra Limited and Eighteenth Step Projects Private Limited.
The petition underscores that Eighteenth Step Projects Private Limited, established in 2013, and Eighteenth Step Damodar Cable Cars Private Limited, formed in 2015, lack prior experience in constructing or operating ropeways. While Damodar Ropeways and Infra Limited has experience in ropeway management, its safety record has been questioned due to multiple incidents.
Major Serious Safety Incidents Involving Damodar Ropeways
The petition lists several incidents that raise concerns about the company’s safety record:
- April 2022: Trikut Ropeway, Jharkhand – 59 passengers were stranded mid-air; three people lost their lives during the rescue.
- January 2019: Jammu Ropeway – Two people died, and four were injured before the ropeway was inaugurated.
- October 2021: Savitri Mata Ropeway, Pushkar – A person fell from a 50-foot height.
- May 2022: Maihar Ropeway, Madhya Pradesh – 28 devotees were left stranded.
- July 2022: Surkanda Devi Ropeway, Uttarakhand – 60 people, including an MLA Kishore Upadhyay, were stuck for 45 minutes.
- June 2023: Mata Tekri Ropeway, Madhya Pradesh – Six passengers were trapped in swaying cabins for 90 minutes due to a storm.
The petition also mentions that in June 2024, the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation blacklisted Damodar Ropeways for five years and fined them over Rs. 9 crore following the Trikut Ropeway accident.
"The Jharkhand High Court upheld the JTDC's blacklisting order," he added.
Court Proceedings
A division bench, including Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S., has set the next hearing for May 30, 2025, after the court’s summer vacation. Senior lawyers are representing both the petitioner and the companies involved.
The court’s decision emphasizes the importance of strict safety measures in infrastructure projects, especially for religious sites like Sabarimala, which attracts millions of devotees each year.
