The Central Government has granted in-principle approval for the proposed ropeway project at Sabarimala, Public Works Minister P. K. Basheer announced.
The long-pending project has moved forward after the Kerala government addressed issues related to forest land required for the project. As part of the clearance process, the state had earlier issued an order transferring 4.5336 hectares of revenue land in Kulathupuzha village, Punalur taluk, Kollam district, to the Forest Department as compensatory land for the forest area to be acquired.
The ropeway, proposed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, will connect Hilltop with the area near the Sannidhanam Police Barracks. The remaining procedures for implementing the project are expected to begin shortly.
Once completed, the ropeway is expected to reduce travel time from Pamba to Sannidhanam to around 10 minutes. Besides making the pilgrimage more convenient, the facility is also expected to improve the transportation of goods and enable the rapid evacuation of patients during emergencies.
