The traffic and infrastructure advisor to the state government, Mr. M.N. Srihari has announced that a ropeway on the lines of the Manasa temple in Haridwar is being planned for Chamundi Hills. A detailed project report is being prepared for Rs. 25 crores and will be sent to the central government for funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
According to Mr. Srihari (he is the same expert who suggested road hump pedestrian crossings now being installed all over the city), the aim of the project is to help Mysore City Corporation earn substantial revenue and make the journey faster for tourists or pilgrims. The ropeway will give the tourists a spectacular view of the entire city, Mr Srihari added.
Space will be needed at the foothill and at the top for boarding and alighting and for generators, Mr. Srihari said. Also, pillars need to be raised along the 4.8 km stretch of the ropeway. This project is in addition to another JNNURM project of Rs 13 crores to improve the environs of Chamundi Hills.
MCC seems to be receiving poor advice in the matter of the ropeway on Chamundi Hills. The reasons being advanced to promote the ropeway hold little water. Let us look at each of them.
1. MAKES THE JOURNEY FASTER: By road, it takes as little as 15 minutes to go from the bottom to the top of the Hills. Can the ropeway make it any faster? Even if it can, do we need that extra speed? Since Chamundi Hills are not a business destination, but just a tourist and pilgrim centre, does 5 or 10 minutes time saved make any difference to anyone? If you get to the top that fast, how can even enjoy the scenery? Therefore, making the journey faster is not a valid reason.
2. HELPS MCC EARN SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE: Has any study been done on the economics of the ropeway? Can it even earn enough to meet maintenance costs, let alone make substantial profit? About 15 years ago, an aerial ropeway was proposed for Chamundi Hills and a contract for the work was awarded by Government of Karnataka to a private company, M/s Seeka Inter Plan System. But work on the ropeway never started. This leads one to doubt if the ropeway is that profitable.
In the case of Manasa temple in Haridwar, there are only two options available to reach the temple, ropeway or trekking to the top of the hill (See for example, rrindia.com/uttarnchal/haridwarinfo.html). No wonder, most of the visitors take the ropeway. But when you have two good approach roads from Mysore and stone steps for the walkers, it is not clear how many peole will opt for the ropeway. So one can not compare Manasa temple to Chamundi Hills.
3. GIVES SPECTACULAR VIEW: If viewpoints are established along to road to the top, one can get equally spectacular views in all directions and nothing beats the panoramic view from the top of the hill. So there is nothing special about the view from the ropeway car and so this also is not a valid reason.
Therefore, the reasons being advanced for the ropeway do not appear valid. Beyond these reasons, we should also consider the environmental and heritage cost of the ropeway. Clearance of forest on the hillside will be required for construction of stanchions for the ropeway at every 30 to 50 metres, besides access paths to them for construction and maintenance. The stations at the two ends of the ropeway also require large areas of land for the machinery, standby generators and parking space. This will mean more land taken away from green cover and permanent destruction of eco-system and habitat for many species of animals and birds. Operation of the ropeway will involve noise and smoke (from generators), and there are also the questions of safety standards, maintenance, risk and insurance for travelers, etc. Experience of operating ropeways elsewhere in India (e.g., Mussoorie) indicate that these are gimmicky, do not last long, and are ill-maintained because of the ambience of slackness. Aerial ropeways may be a necessity for ski resorts but have no place in other places and certainly not for Chamundi Hills, because it will ruin the ambience of this heritage site in the Heritage City of Mysore.