SAMBALPUR: The much-awaited ropeway connecting Jawahar Udyan with Gandhi Minar near Hirakud Dam here is likely to be operational shortly. The ropeway was dedicated to the public by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on February 1.
Superintending Engineer of Hirakud Dam Circle Bhakta Ranjan Mohanty said though the ropeway project was inaugurated on February 1, they could not make the facility operational as work on rest sheds and some electrical works had not completed. Now, all works have been completed and they have set a target to make the 421-metre ropeway operational by August 15, he said.
The project was executed by Odisha Construction Corporation (OCC) while a Kolkata-based firm Damodar Ropeways and Infra Limited (DRIL) was entrusted to install the ropeway. The DRIL had begun work on the project in April 2016.
There will be 12 cabins to travel on the ropeway with each cabin having a capacity to carry four passengers at a time. The estimated cost of the project is `6.26 crore while Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) had allocated the fund to Water Resources department which manages the Hirakud. The firm will maintain the facility for three years.
Gandhi Minar located on the top of a hill is a watchtower which provides a bird’s eye view of the Hirakud. Jawahar Udyan is a park below the dam. Both the destinations, maintained by the Water Resources department, attract tourists from across the country.