India to build 250 ropeway projects worth ₹1.25 lakh cr: Nitin Gadkari

India plans to develop over 250 ropeway projects worth ₹1.25 lakh crore ($15 billion) over a period of five years, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.

The Parvatmala Pariyojana or the National Ropeways Development Programme, which was announced in Budget 2022-23, aims to improve connectivity for commuters in hilly areas and decongest urban areas where the conventional mode of transport is saturated.

These projects cover over 1,200 kilometres, making Parvatmala Pariyojana the largest ropeway infrastructure programme in the world, Gadkari said at the Interalpin 2023 trade fair for Alpine Technologies in Innsbruck, Austria.

"As nearly 30% of land area in India consists of hilly and forest areas where development of conventional modes of transportation such as road, rail and air poses a technical challenge. Also, in many of these areas, the availability of land for the development of infrastructure is a serious concern. Therefore last mile connectivity is a key challenge in such areas," the Union minister said.

The programme will include some of the most challenging ropeway projects such as Hemkunt Sahib, Kedarnath and Badrinath, Gadkari said, adding that these projects will improve accessibility to religious sites in these areas.

"The ropeway in Kedarnath, situated at a height of 3,600 metres, will have a length of 10 kilometres. It will carry 3,600 passengers per direction per hour, making it potentially one of the longest ropeways in the world," said Gadkari.

To decongest Varanasi, a 4-km long ropeway will carry 3,000 passengers per direction per day reducing travel time from 60 minutes to just 15 minutes, the minister said, adding that the cost of the project is around $110 million.

Over the past year, projects worth ₹4,000 crore were tendered and work has been initiated on projects worth ₹23,000 crore, the minister said.

Gadkari said the government's focus is on public-private partnership (PPP) under Hybrid Annuity Model with 60% contribution support by Government of India. "We are promoting the manufacturing of ropeway components under the 'Make in India' initiative," he said.

The Union minister urged Austrian and European industries to participate in the enhancement of existing ropeway standards to ensure sustainable and safer transport. "These projects will promote new industries in these areas and create employment opportunities," he added.

Gadkari urged ropeway manufacturers to 'Make in India'. "We plan on providing incentives to OEMs, developers and other stakeholders as part of the programme to make ropeway manufacturing and assembly a win-win situation for all," the minister said.

"If we can work together and bring down the cost of ropeway without compromising on safety and quality, I am confident that ropeways will be a game changer in the transportation sector," he added.