UDUPI: The proposed cable car project linking Kollur to Kodachadri has encountered a massive obstacle due to the protracted delay in securing clearance from the Forest Department.
Nearly five years after the project first emerged in public debate, with preliminary surveys inciting discussions among local residents and environmental advocates, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways granted its endorsement for this initiative under the Parvatmala scheme.
The project, estimated to cost Rs 380 crore, is set to become Karnataka’s inaugural cable car (ropeway) venture.
The National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), which entered into an agreement with the Karnataka State Tourism Department, has prepared the detailed project report (DPR) following an expert team’s site evaluation.
However, further work has been impeded as the obligatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the forest department remains pending. Officials indicated that once the requisite clearance is acquired, tenders will be issued.