Why drive when you can glide? Rope car to link Palani-Kodai in 40 mins
DINDIGUL: A rope car to bring the travel time between Kodaikanal and Palani down from three hours to just 40 minutes will soon become a reality if all goes well. As part of a National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLM) proposal to connect the two popular tourist destinations in Dindigul district at a cost of Rs 500 crore, engineers from Austria and NHLM officials have started a pre-feasibility study.
Most visitors to Kodaikanal also visit the Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple in Palani, which is 64km away by road. However, it takes close to three hours to travel the distance due to a high number of hairpin bends on the route. An NHLM official said the pre-feasibility study is being conducted by Bernard Gruppe ZT GmbH in joint venture with Bernard Consultants Pvt Ltd and Salzmann Ingenieure ZT GmBH.
“They will submit their report within six months. Following this, we will carry out an aerial survey after getting permission from the forest department. Then, the tender will be floated. The whole exercise might take another three years,” he said.
Anjuveedu has been selected as the rope car station in Palani and in Kodaikanal the rope car station may be set up near Kuriji Anadavar Temple. Two more stations will be set up but the sites have not been identified yet, he added.
“With the rope car service, pilgrims and tourists will be able to reach their destination in 40 minutes while enjoying nature’s beauty,” he said. Southern Zone NHLM Zonal Officer TV Shivaji said NHLM is doing similar work at Uttarakhand in five places.
One of seven spots to get this facility
The Union government had announced that rope car facility would be made available in seven places, including Palani-Kodai. The project is being undertaken by Union and State govts