Tremors at Nandi Hills, but Karnataka government keen on ropeway
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is keen to go ahead and implement the first-ever ropeway project at Nandi Hills, though the idea has been dropped at Chamundi Hills, due to stiff opposition from locals and environmentalists. The tourism department is now working on calling for tenders, as a third company has shown interest in the ropeway project at the hill station, 61km from the city centre. Tourism department officials told The New Indian Express: “Work on the ground will start within two or three months. We are waiting for environment clearance from the forest department, as forest land needs to be diverted for it. A survey of the extent of land which needs to be acquired is also to start.”
However, forest officials and locals state that the project should be stalled, more so in the wake of seismic activities being reported in the region.“There have been many tremors in and around Chikkaballapur and other surrounding areas. So it is important to not just have an environmental report on the effect of axing trees and diverting forest land, but a detailed study of the impact of drilling and erecting pillars and structures on the fragile landscape. We are suggesting the need for a detailed private third party inspection, but no one is taking note of it,” said an official from the Karnataka forest department.
In February 2022, the cabinet had cleared the project at a cost of Rs 93.40 crore, with 18 pillars over a distance of 2.93km. According to officials from the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, the weekend turnover at Nandi Hills is around Rs 5 lakh, which includes hotel guests, day visits and restaurant sales. “With the introduction of a ropeway, the turnover will increase multifold. Nandi Hills has high tourist potential and it should be explored to the maximum,” said the official.
While officials at the Mines and Geology department said there was a need for a seismic study in the region, especially when such a mega project is planned, they also stated that so far, they were not consulted for any assessment.
It may be recollected that last year, a landslide was reported in Nandi Hills and Devarayaadurga, due to heavy rainfall. Rockfall was also reported in the region. There have also been mild earthquakes and tremors in Chikkaballapur in 2021, and earthquakes measuring 2.6 and 2.4 on the Richter scale were reported in May 2022.