Several ropeway projects approved under the Parvatmala – National Ropeways Development Programme are currently at various stages including implementation, bidding and award, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on 11 March.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari shared the information in a written reply regarding the status of ropeway projects under the Parvatmala scheme.
According to the details provided in the reply, ropeway projects across different states are being implemented through multiple modes including Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC).
Several projects are currently under implementation. These include the 3.85 Km Varanasi ropeway project in Uttar Pradesh with a cost of ₹815.58 crore, which has a tentative completion target of June 2026.
The 2.2 Km Sangam Prayagraj ropeway project in Uttar Pradesh, estimated to cost ₹230 crore, is also under implementation and is expected to be completed by April 2027.
Other projects listed under implementation include the Bijli Mahadev ropeway project in Himachal Pradesh with a length of 2.32 Km and project cost of ₹283.92 crore, and the Mahakaleshwar Temple ropeway in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh with a cost of ₹272.03 crore.
However, the minister clarified that these two projects are currently being reconsidered due to local opposition.
The Tikitoriya Mata Temple ropeway project in Madhya Pradesh, with a cost of ₹21.89 crore, is under implementation and has a tentative completion target of July 2027.
The Dhosi Hill ropeway project in Haryana, estimated at ₹67.90 crore, is also under implementation with a tentative completion target of March 2027.
Some ropeway projects are currently at the bidding stage. These include the Shankaracharya Temple ropeway project in Jammu and Kashmir with an estimated project cost of ₹147.23 crore, which is expected to be completed within two years from the appointed date of the concessionaire.
The Ramtek Gad Temple ropeway project in Maharashtra with an estimated cost of ₹51.63 crore and the Kamakhya Devi Temple ropeway project in Assam with a cost of ₹213.24 crore are also at the bidding stage and are expected to be completed within about 1.5 years from the appointed date of the concessionaire.
Two major ropeway projects in Uttarakhand — the Kedarnath ropeway with a length of 12.9 Km and estimated cost of ₹4,081.28 crore, and the Hemkund Sahib Ji ropeway project with a length of 12.4 Km and cost of ₹2,730.13 crore — have already been awarded under the DBFOT model.
Both projects have a tentative completion target of May 2032.
The minister also stated that environmental and social impact assessments are conducted as part of the DPR studies of the ropeway projects, along with the necessary compliance requirements.
Further, to ensure long-term financial sustainability, financial modelling and the implementation mode for individual projects are structured, the minister said.
For safety compliance during implementation, independent engineers and safety consultants oversee design, construction and operational aspects of ropeway systems.
Further, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety has been designated as the Commissioner of Ropeways Systems Safety to ensure statutory compliance and safe commissioning of ropeway systems.
Read also : Pune gets road-metro integrated double-decker flyover at Savitribai Phule Pune University Chowk
