Shimla: To overcome Shimla’s chronic problem of traffic congestion, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to go for a multi-million ropeway project, an official said here today.
A Rs.250-crore aerial ropeway project connecting Shimla’s inter-state bus terminus at Tutikandi with the Mall road, the famous strolling street, will be built under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, a government spokesperson told.
He said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh gave approval to the project at a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board here yesterday (Monday).
The spokesperson said the ropeway would help reduce traffic congestion in the town.
He said the three-km ropeway would carry around 1,500-2,000 people per hour each way and the one-side travel time would be around 10 minutes.
Officials said the chief minister also gave the nod to link Aadi Himani Chamunda temple in the Dhauladhar mountain range in Kangra district with a ropeway.
This would help the pilgrims to visit the ancient hilltop shrine, which can be reached only through an uphill trek of about 16 km from the famous shrine of Chamunda Devi near Dharamsala town, some 250 km from here.
The Aadi Himani Chamunda six-km-long ropeway with a carrying capacity of 1,000-1,200 people per hour each way would be constructed at a cost of Rs.200 crore, an official said. He said the total travel time would be around 20 minutes.
He added that the presentation on a ropeway project to carry apples from Shimla’s prominent apple belt Kotgarh to Parwanoo, bordering Haryana, was also made by consultant Usha Breco Reality Ltd. at the meeting.
It undertook the feasibility study to transport the horticulture produce from Shimla district to Parwanoo.
The material ropeway would help reduce ground transport and traffic and would take off 64,000 truck trips at 40 percent capacity utilisation, says the study.
Upper Shimla areas alone account for 80 percent of the total apple production in the state.
The state’s normal apple yield is 25 million boxes.
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Oh God …. Not another one! The Jakhu Ropeway project has already taken almost 10 years and is still nowhere near completion. Nearly a hundred 200-year old trees have been sacrificed and thousands of tonnes of rock and soil dumped in the Combermere Nallah.
Do the planners really expect travellers to board, with bag and baggage, the cable cars that are planned to carry ‘1500-2000’ people per hour ….. nowhere in the world does this happen. People – Yes; Bag and baggage – No!
How about a ropeway from Taradevi Temple to the Mall … now That would be major tourist attraction and a money spinner …. If Hong Kong can do it for Lantau, why not HP for Taradevi?
The idea of a ropeway from the ISBT Tutukandi to the present bus stand on Cart Road was first formulated in 2005 under the Congress govt.The intention was to provide quick access to the town for those arriving by bus,significantly reduce vehicular traffic on this stretch,save the tourists from being fleeced by the notorious taxi drivers of Shimla.
Unfortunately the succeeding BJP govt in 2008 shelved this scheme on the basis of the political ideology that anything conceived by a previous govt.has to be rejected! This has cost the residents of Shimla five years in lost time, but better late than never.
The present Chief Minister and Transport Minister are to be commended for reviving this proposal However, I would like to differ on the choice of terminal point of the rope-way: this should be at the present bus stand on Cart Road, in the parking lot above the office of the MD HRTC. The reasons are as follows:
* Most visitors, on arrival, are not interested on going to the Mall Road: they would want to go their budget hotels or relatives’ place, which would not be on the Mall Road.
* Mall Road is a pedestrianised area, and people would not be able to get taxis from there to get to their destinations( with their families and luggage).Taxis, porters. other local buses are instead available at the Cart Road site.
* Mall Road should not be further burdened or disturbed in any way. It is a heritage area and one that is extremely fragile, with parts of it sinking.the only available open area there is the ridge where presumably the terminal station of the rope-way would be built. This would be a disaster- no construction / digging should be resorted to there. The Govt. would do well to review this part of their decision.