Govt expedites Bijli Mahadev ropeway work

Abhinav Vashisht

KULLU, MARCH 10

The tenders for construction of the proposed ropeway to Bijli Mahadev will be opened on March 18. The National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a Government of India company, has been assigned construction work of the ropeway from Pirdi near Kullu to Bijli Mahadev.

All the necessary clearances for the ropeway project have been obtained and the land has been transferred to the NHLML. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Sunder Singh Thakur had met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari last month. Tenders have now been floated by the NHLML for the project.

Construction of the ropeway will give boost to religious tourism at Bijli Mahadev. The 2.7-km-long ropeway will boost tourism in Kullu as well. The survey for the ropeway has already been completed. A team of the NHLML and the Ropeways Corporation had inspected the spots for boarding and de-boarding in January.

When the ropeway construction is complete, tourists will be able to reach shrine in 5 to 8 minutes from Pirdi and pay obeisance at the temple. At present, one has to travel for about one hour in a vehicle to reach the last motorable point near Chansari, about 25 km from Kullu, and then trek for about 2 km, which generally takes around one to two hours, to reach the Lord Shiva shrine located atop the hill near Kullu town.

The CPS said that boarding and de-boarding stations would be built in Pechha, which will also benefit the local people. The ropeway will be built about 100 metres from the temple to maintain sanctity of the area. “The construction work of Bijli Mahadev Ropeway will be completed in two years,” he said.

With the construction of the ropeway tourism in Kharal valley will get a boost.