India Takes Flight: 200 Ropeways Soar with Rs 1.25 Lakh Crore Boost

The government will develop 200 ropeway projects at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore in the coming five years under the National Ropeways Development Programme, 'Parvatmala Pariyojana'.

Addressing a ‘Ropeway: Symposium-Cum-Exhibition’, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called for developing ropeways as part of the urban rapid transport system to decongest cities and reduce the travel time. Apart from facilitating tourism in the hilly areas, the ropeway offers potential in the urban public transport as well. The priority in this regard is to encourage public private partnership to develop the ropeway network in the country, and manufacturing of ropeway components under the Make in India initiative, he further informed.

The government will provide 60 percent construction support under hybrid annuity mode (HAM) as compared to 40 percent support provided under national highways to attract more private players for ropeways. States will provide the land for development of ropeways, and environmental clearance will not be needed for such projects. However, the focus will be on developing indigenous and cost-efficient solutions without compromising on safety. 

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on 23 January, 2024 awarded two ropeway projects, Bijli Mahadev Ropeway project in Himachal Pradesh and Dhosi Hill Ropeway project in Haryana. Besides, the National Highways Logistics Management entered into an MoU with IIT Roorkee for creating a centre of excellence for ropeways and other innovative alternate mobility systems.