Rajkot: If its developers can be quoted, on Saturday, Gujarat will be home to “world’s longest ropeway to a temple” after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the Girnar ropeway project at Junagadh online.
Going beyond the developers’ claims, the ropeway completed at the cost of Rs 130 crore by Usha Breco limited, will facilitate 5 to 6 lakh people visit the Girnar mountain every year. The project has been given to the company on BOT (build-operate and transfer) basis on a lease period of 98 years.
The tough terrain and continuous rainfall last year posed a huge challenge for the developers who, for the first time in ropeway construction history, had to employ the services of a helicopter in the project.
“The terrain is very difficult and sans roads to carry the materials for building the ropeway. We had to build a material ropeway to carry the materials to the top.
Helicopters were also used to carry the construction materials higher up. The area also witnessed heavy rains in the last two seasons, while the Covid-19 pandemic also disrupted work for many weeks,” Apurv Jhawar, managing director, Usha Breco, told TOI.
The ropeway is over 2.3 km long and includes nine towers. It will comprise 25 carriages, including one glass-floored cabin, each having capacity to carry eight passengers at one time.
The ropeway has the capacity to carry 800 passengers in an hour, and 8,000 in a day.
“The ropeway will take passengers to an altitude of 900 metre, which is equal to 5,000 steps. The tallest pillar is 66 metres high,” Jhawar added.