Whisked away: An ‘elevated passageway’ in the absence of roads for the deprived villagers

The indigenously designed chairlift is a source of relief for locals who faced difficulties commuting.

ABOTTABAD: An indigenously-designed chairlift being used on the Daur River near Thai-Dhamtor village, providing several villages of the remote union council of Abbottabad with a fast, cheap and easy mode of transport.

The device, named ‘Paharon ki Shehzadi’ (Princess of the Mountain) by the owner, is made out of a ten-seater Suzuki pickup’s cabin. Driven by a 600 CC diesel engine, the lift is run by an operator from the Murree Road end near Thai village.

The detachable lift uses wire rope and pulleys and has a sheet covering on all sides for ventilation and protection purposes, with an iron gate that is tightly bolted before launch. The chairlift has a capacity of ten passengers and has room for luggage as well. It operates at a height of 10,000 feet, elevated over the perennial flow of the Daur River, which gives passengers a stunning view during their journey. The chairlift travels about 2,000 metres in a few minutes.

Once the passengers are seated and it is time for launch, a horn is blown to notify the attendant at the other end. The Rs20 chairlift ride is also popular among picnickers.

The chairlift is mainly used for transport purposes by local inhabitants who reside in the hilly villages in the peripheries of Abbottabad and previously had to face hassles in commuting due to the lack of a road. The villagers told The Express Tribune that during the Muttahidda Majlise Amal’s government, a bridge was built to link villages across the river with Murree Road. However, as there was no road connecting to the villages, the delay in the project disappointed the inhabitants of half a dozen villages, which have a total population of around 20,000.

The distance between Harnoi Bazaar and Beesal is over 4 kilometres, and surrounding villages had to travel on foot.

“It is a blessing, we can now easily transport our patients to hospitals within the shortest possible time, unlike in the past, when we had to carry them in cots and often lost them on the way,” said Nawaz Khan a resident of Beesal Village, adding that the passenger ropeway is  a cheap and fast method and should be developed. When Zabit Khan, the owner of the chairlift, was asked about the safety of the chairlift, he claimed it was at par with international standards and safe from all aspects.

The area has several coal mines through which the lessees and government are earning millions, however a basic road is still lacking.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2011.