Cabinet to decide soon on Rohtang ropeway

The tourism department has cleared two leading private companies — one based in Himachal,while the other is a reputed foreign firm that has tied up with an Indian collaborator — to take up the project in the private sector. Tourists will soon have an option to take an air ride to Rohtang instead of driving up to a height of 13,051 feet.

While Bijli Mahadev,a 2,460-metre high peak overlooking Kullu and Parvati valleys,will be a new tourist attraction in the district,the second project is expected to immensely reduce daily movement of tourist vehicles to Rohtang Pass (3979 metres) during peak tourist season. This will also reduce the travel distance of 51 kms to only 8 kms.

A survey done by the state’s tourism department and the district administration reveals that between 3,000 and 4,000 tourists vehicles,including private cars,luxury buses and charter AC coaches,reach Manali every day during the tourist season. “The proposed ropeway project will drastically cut down the pollution level and relieve the Palchan-Rohtang Pass stretch from the growing vehicular congestion in this eco-sensitive belt,” says B M Nanta,the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu.

Principal Secretary (Tourism) Manisha Nanda confirmed that bids for both the projects had been accepted and the proposals would be submitted to the Cabinet for final approval. “Ropeways are not only important for the promotion of tourism,but also an eco-friendly alternative mode of transport. The Shimla Declaration on climate change issues has incorporated a clause on encouraging new ropeway projects in Himachal as vehicular pollution is also a cause for global warming and climate change,” Nanda told The Indian Express.

The Palchan-Rohtang ropeway project,which will cost nearly Rs 200 crore,will have three stages — Palchan-Gulaba (2,277 m),Gulaba-Marri (2,893 m) and Marri-Rohtang (3,455 m). The Bijli Mahadev project will attract an investment of Rs 50 crore,according to tourism officials.

Four other ropeway projects in the pipeline include Baba Balaknath,Dharamkot-Triyund,Palampur-Neogal and the ambitious Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib project. The tourism department is reworking the plans on the first three,while the Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib project will be a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Punjab governments.

At a recent joint meeting of the officials of two states,a decision was taken to launch a special purpose vehicle to execute the project on 50:50 cost sharing basis as had been decided by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal. Dhumal had last month written to Badal to expedite work on the project.