Ropeway proposed from Eegalapenta to Srisailam

PNS|Vijayawada

A proposal was made to build a ropeway from Eegalapenta (Telangana) to Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) at a meeting convened by the National Highways Authority of India through videoconferencing on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Dr Rajat Bhargava, Special Chief Secretary to Government, and K Kanna Babu, Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority, and Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

On the occasion, Dr Rajat Bhargava said it’s a wonderful opportunity to enhance ropeway tourism in the State. “Andhra Pradesh has apt locations to develop ropeways and attract tourists. Srisailm is one of the best possible locations for the ropeway project because it is an important pilgrimage destination in Andhra Pradesh with good tourist footfall. The proposed ropeway area is in Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve area under the jurisdiction of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and connects the Srisailam town and Eegalapenta, which is close to the Srisailam Dam, stretching over River Krishna,” he said.

In the Union Budget for 2022-23, the National Ropeways Development Programme was announced. The objective of the project is to develop an ecologically sustainable alternative to conventional roads in hilly areas with an aim to improve connectivity and convenience for commuters, besides promoting tourism.

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism has identified 26 possible locations for ropeway projects in a stretch of about 33 km for urban decongestion, connecting the inaccessible areas and to improve tourism. An MoU has been signed between the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) and a 100 per cent owned SPV of NHAI is developing ropeways under Parvatmala Pariyojana in the State.