Sabarimala Ropeway project to start soon, government provides revenue land to forest department
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has issued an order to provide revenue land in exchange for 4.5336 hectares of forest land for the construction of the Sabarimala ropeway. The equivalent land has been allotted in Kulathupuzha, Kollam district. Authorities have stated that construction activities are expected to begin within six months.
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, when forest land is surrendered, an equal area of land must be allocated for compensatory afforestation in the name of the Forest Department. The government has instructed the Kollam District Collector to take immediate action in this regard.
Reports indicate that the Rs. 250-crore ropeway project, which will connect Pamba Hilltop to the area near the Sannidhanam police barracks, is expected to have its foundation stone laid during the pilgrimage season. The ropeway is being developed to facilitate the transportation of essential supplies and emergency services.
The ropeway will span 2.7 kilometers and is expected to reduce the travel time between Pamba and Sannidhanam to just 10 minutes. According to the revised blueprint, the number of pillars has been reduced from seven to five, and the number of trees that need to be cut down has decreased from 300 to 80. This was confirmed earlier by P.S. Prashanth, President of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
"The issue of providing alternative land has been resolved. Once the paperwork for the land exchange is completed, the Forest Department will apply for final clearance. After obtaining the clearance, construction activities can begin. We expect the work to proceed quickly, with construction likely to begin within four to six months. The estimated construction period is 24 months; however, there may be delays during the monsoon season or when the temple is open to pilgrims," said Uma Nair, Head of Ropeway Operations, in an interview with Mathrubhumi News.