MINGORA: Apart from natural treats like high mountains, large waterfalls, beautiful lakes, lush green pastures and crystalline water rivers, the Swat valley has a peculiar manmade thing to show to visitors: a car-powered chairlift on the local river in Asrait area.

The cable car carries tourists to the other side of the river close to a small waterfall with the limpid blue water of the Swat River.

At first sight, the tourists don’t expect that the new model car is parked to run the cable car across the Swat River.

“On the way to Kalam, we stopped here to get a cup of tea when we saw this car have a yellow pulley instead of a wheel connected to the left side of its front shaft,” said Mohammad Amin, a tourist, who was going to Kalam.

He said it was a big surprise for him when he saw that the pulley was connected through iron cables to another small pulley to operate the chairlift.

“I immediately called my other family members to show them the innovation. We all decided in no time to ride the cable car and cross the river. It gave us the 360-degree view of the river,” he said.

Another tourist, Kamran, who was from Peshawar, said he was impressed by the innovation.

“There are hundreds of cable cars, both manual and mechanical, operating across the Swat River but this one powered by a new model car attracts crowds of tourists. By spending little money, I enjoyed the ride across the river to the full before getting down to see the small waterfall on the other side,” he said appreciating local residents’ innovation and knowledge.

“It is an innovative source of income for locals,” he said.

The chairlift is powered by a non-custom paid car.

Cable car owner Jan Mohammad Torwali said he got the car for Rs330,000 from a showroom in Mingora to earn livelihood for family.

“Recently I installed this cable car, which turned out to be an exceptional success. The tourists first have a brief talk with me about it and then purchase the ticket to take a ride in it,” he told Dawn.

Mr. Torwali said he charged a person Rs50 for the two-way ride.

According to a conservative estimate, there are more than 60,000 NCP vehicles plying Swat roads, while more than 50,000 such automobiles are on display at local showrooms for sale.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2016