BENGALURU : Even as the minister for tourism has changed, the proposal to develop Nandi Hills seems to have remained constant. The tourism department and private companies are now working on preparing the report and getting final approval to officially start work.
As per the preliminary report prepared by AarconInfra, the company that will construct the ropeway in Nandi Hills along with the state government, stated that the ropeway will be three kilometre-long and will stand at a height of 300 metre.
Former Tourism Minister C P Yogeeshwar said that meetings were held with the company and they were awarded the project as they have created ropeways across the country, including the first one in Shimla.
Brijender Lall, CEO and Managing Director of AarconInfra, told The New Indian Express that it is supposed to be an eco-friendly project, where trees will not be cut, but pruned.
“As per tentative drawings, towers for the ropeway will be erected every 150-200 metres. We have also chalked out a Rs 150 crore integrated ropeway project, which will include improvement of parking lot, creation of station for the ropeway vehicle, hotels and cafeterias. The final DPR is being prepared for a 25-30 year contract. By next month, we will also announce tenders,” Lall said.
As per the Karnataka ropeway report, four places in the state- Nandi Hills, Jog Falls, Kemmanagundi and Chamundi Hills, have been selected for the project.
A tourism department official said, “After considering the ecological, financial and religious factors, Nandi Hills was chosen, because of its proximity to Bengaluru. It will be executed under a public-private partnership model. Apart from giving tourists a unique experience, tourists will also get to see how Nandi Hills looks from the top.”