E-Paper
Tender floated for ₹251 cr Sangam-Triveni Pushp ropeway project
NHLML has also sent letters to officials of the Army, the irrigation department, and the Inland Waterways Authority of India to secure no objection certificates in this regard, they added.
PRAYAGRAJ In a bid to ensure a ropeway ride for the pilgrims coming to Mahakumbh-2025, the National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) has floated a tender for the development, operation, and maintenance of a ropeway between a site near Shankar Viman Mandapam (close to Sangam) and Triveni Pushp in Arail at Naini, said senior district officials.
NHLML has also sent letters to officials of the Army, the irrigation department, and the Inland Waterways Authority of India to secure no objection certificates in this regard, they added.
As soon as the NOCs are received, the work on ground would kickstart. Efforts are being made to ensure that the work gets completed at the earliest, said Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) vice-chairman and CEO of Prayagraj Mela Authority, Arvind Chauhan.
The NHLML-- a 100%-owned special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) -- took the decision after completing a feasibility and detailed project report (DPR) of the project, said the officials.
The 2.2-km-long ropeway connecting the two places will be constructed at a cost of ₹251.05 crore under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM) -- a combination in which the government makes payment in a fixed amount in the beginning and then in variable amounts at a later stage.
As per the plan, the ropeway would start from Kali Marg Baandh, a short distance from the majestic Shankar Viman Mandapam, popularly known as the Shankaracharya Temple, located close to Triveni Sangam -- the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
The 130-feet-high temple with four floors built in south Indian style has idols of Kumaril Bhatt, Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya, Kamakshi Devi, Tirupati Balaji, and Yogsahastra Sahastrayoga Linga. The ropeway on the other side would end near Triveni Pushp, the picturesque tourist attraction located on the banks of Yamuna at Arail in Naini area of Sangam city.
Spread over an area of four hectares, Triveni Pushp has a magnificent tower architecture visible from Sangam and is surrounded by 12 small lawns. Triveni Pushp is a viewpoint and a major tourist attraction visited by almost all national and international delegations, travellers and pilgrims during Kumbh-2019.
The ropeway project is being implemented under the central government’s Parvatmala scheme, which is a National Ropeways Development Programme and will serve as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional roads. The NHLML has been assigned to develop ropeway projects under the scheme in the country.
