Guwahati: Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman officially opened the long-awaited ropeway that connects Dhapper to Bhaleydhunga in Sikkim on February 28 under the PM-DevINE programme.
Chief minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang, Shaji KV the chairman of the National Bank of Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) and VB Pathak, the chief secretary of Sikkim all participated in the video conference that officially opened the ropeway.
The ropeway is a crucial part of the project which intends to increase ecotourism in the state. The project which was built for Rs 209.57 crore and received gap funding of Rs 57.82 crore from PM-DevINE will allow access to the Bhaleydhunga mountain top.
The initiative will help Sikkim’s budding tourism sector grow which will help all stakeholders and business owners as well as established hotel companies.
The innovative ropeway which was created by a French company and spans an astonishing 3.5 kilometres was built at an elevation of 1800 metres above sea level and reaches its apex at Bhaleydhunga at a height of 3500 metres above sea level.
A magnificent engineering achievement, the Bhaleydhunga Ropeway is anticipated to become a well-liked tourist destination in the region.
Some claim that this would boost the local economy and businesses’ ability to attract tourists. The ropeway has a maximal speed of 6 metres per second and takes only a few minutes to reach the Bhaleydhunga top station. The ropeway has 18 cabins, each with eight seats.