Several Indian states considers ropeway as alternative transport mode

Several Indian states are considering the ropeway as an alternative mode of public transport, not just in tourist areas but in crowded urban areas for daily commute as well.

According to Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation (IPRCL), more than 40 ropeway projects are under consideration in states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh, among others.

The major projects in consideration include the Dehradun City Urban Ropeway Project covering 25 km with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore in Uttarakhand, the Mumbai-Elephanta Ropeway covering 8 km with an evaluated cost of Rs 700 crore, the Mahavirnagar-Gorai Urban Ropeway Project covering 7.20 km with an assessed cost of Rs 575 crore, and the Film City-Jewar Airport with an estimated cost of around Rs 800 crore in UP.

In the Union Budget 2022-2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced National Ropeways Development Programme 'Parvatmala' to develop ropeways as an alternative mode of public transport in difficult hilly regions.

The government said that the scheme may also cover crowded urban areas where a conventional mass transit system is not possible. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is the nodal authority for these ropeway projects.

For any identified infrastructure project the first feasibility study is done. The study has three-four elements: alignment study, traffic study, technical study, and cost study. After the project has been found technically and financially feasible, the authority executing the project has to provide a detailed report, an official at Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) told the media.

While a feasible study takes three-four months, a detailed project report (DPR) takes six to eight months or up to a year, the official said, adding that after clearance, a Rs 100 crore project takes about two years for fulfilment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi is set to become India's first city to have a ropeway service as an alternative mode of public transport. The ropeway will join Cantt Railway Station and Church Square to decrease traffic congestion. The project covers an aerial distance of 3.45 km, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 400 crore.

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