Adventure trip? Soon, you can take a ropeway ride in glass cable cars from Neral to Matheran

Mumbai city news: Around 8-10 lakh tourists visit Matheran annually. The hill station in Raigad district is closest to Mumbai and very popular among the Mumbaiites.

There’s an added attraction to Maharashtra’s popular weekend getaway Matheran – a ropeway ride in a glass cable car from Neral to Matheran

The 4.8-km ropeway will ferry tourists from Bhutivali village near Neral to Matheran.(File)

Around 8-10 lakh tourists visit Matheran annually. The hill station in Raigad district is closest to Mumbai and very popular among Mumbaiites.

The 4.8-km ropeway will ferry tourists from Bhutivali village near Neral to Matheran.

The work on the ropeway to connect Neral and Asia’s only automobile-free hill station will start after the monsoon, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials said.

Senior MMRDA officials said they have obtained environmental clearance for the project .

“The earlier clearance was valid for five years, but it lapsed. Now, we have got a new one, so the work will start after the monsoon,” said Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

The project, which is planned and executed by a private firm, will be completed in two years, Darade said.

Currently, tourists travel to Matheran either via the mini (toy) train operated by the Central Railway or by road up to Dasturi plateau (Aman lodge).

Once the ropeway is built, tourists can directly reach Matheran from Neral.

Officials said cable cars will be made of glass and will also have transparent floors to provide a good view of the valley.

The proposed system will have three stations and 18 ropeway towers along the alignment.

Officials said the idea behind the ropeway was to preserve the ecology of Matheran as it is an eco-sensitive area.