Parvatmala Pariyojana: Global Majors Seek Perfect Feasibility Studies On Ropeway Projects

The Parvatmala Pariyojana programme, entailing an investment of Rs 1.25 lakh crore over the next five years, for a comprehensive ropeway network and to attract international players, was announced by the centre recently.

Global industry majors urged the centre to focus on carrying out perfect feasibility studies, better estimate of costs and setting realistic deadlines for the ropeway projects.

The global players pointed out that these are key for timely completion of projects, while highlighting how deficient feasibility reports delay the bidding out of projects.

Two such examples are Gaurikund to Kedarnath and Govid Ghat-Ghangaria-Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand, which have not been bid out even more than a year after the foundation stones for these projects were laid.

According to sources, the NHLML, a body under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) implementing the ropeway projects, has extended the bid due date till this month end.

On Tuesday (23 January), the NHAI and NHLML made a presentation on the target to extend the length of ropeway length from the current 65 km to 360 km, before national and international players at a symposium.

The agencies remarked that so far three projects have been bid out, including the country's first urban ropeway in Varanasi. Seven more are under different stages of bidding and in another 20 projects, the detailed feasibility study is in progress.

In his address, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the foremost priority of the sector in India should be to make ropeways economically viable by bringing down the overall project cost to make this affordable.

Gadkari said focus should be on developing indigenous and cost-efficient solutions without compromising safety.