Finally, the tallest Tricolour flying atop Pahari Hills was brought down on Thursday afternoon in the presence of Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer Aditya Anand and a small contingent from Sukhdeonagar police station after remaining stuck at half mast for past 20 days and drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.
The Tricolour got stuck at half mast while it was being hoisted to replace a torn one as the rope got dislodged from the pulley moving it due to high wind pressure.
Attempts to right the predicament by making changes to the winch system moving the rope led to their failure, resulting in the flag being stuck at half mast for 20 days.
After plans to use Army helicopters failed, Urmila Construction and Developers Pvt ltd and Kashish Developers ltd pooled their resources to lower the record-setting national flag. A scaffolding was being constructed parallel to the 293 feet high flag post during the past week to approach the flag so that it could be lowered.
Workers from the two real estate firms were beaten to the punch by one Pradeep Kumar Singh, though, as they were gearing up to scale the pole to bring down the tattered flag. Pradeep is one of the protestors from Jharkhand Yuva Shakti staging a hunger strike at the base of Pahari Mandir demanding action against those responsible for defaming the flag.
Although he got up in a jiffy, Pradeep took the better part of two hours in coming down. Workers who followed later collected the flag weighing 60 kilograms and lowered it down using a system of ropes. To bring it down, the workers pulled the Tricolour, ripping it from the bottom. A portion of the flag could be seen fluttering at the rope from where it had been ripped.
Ironically, the police took Pradeep into custody for some time but later released.
The flag was then taken into custody by Ranchi SDO. Meanwhile, protestors from Jharkhand Yuva Shakti kept demanding that the tattered Tricolour is handed over to them once it reaches the ground.
Now that the national flag is salvaged from the objectionable position, it will be hoisted only after ensuring that it is safe from the elements and similar quandaries, assured officials from Ranchi district administration and members of Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, both.
“The Tricolour will not be unfurled for some time now. Experts from Walmont and MECON are pondering over the technical aspects related to the flag and problems it is facing at the height it is being flown at. The flag will be hoisted once these questions are answered, irrespective of the time it takes,” stated Mukesh Agarwal, spokesperson for Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti.
“The derrick will be taken all the way to the top to correct the problem with the pulley there which led to this problem. Overhauling and making required arrangements for the entire structure will take more than one month. As for the fabric of the flag, authorities dealing in the sector have been contacted for alternate and durable fabrics. We have four to six months during which the available option will be explored for finding the ones which will safeguard the flag from problems it has encountered till now. Only then will it be hoisted,” stated Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar.
The priorities on top of Pahari Hills will change too, he declared. “We will shift our focus on developing the Pahari Mandir premises as it is equally important. The developments regarding flag will go on alongwith the renovation process,” the DC said.