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SMOOTH SAILING: Work in progress on the ropeway being built at Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam. - C.V. Subrahmanyam

Visakhapatnam , Jan. 1

IN the new year, Visakhapatnam will have an additional attraction for tourists, as the work on the ropeway at Kailasagiri is proceeding briskly and is scheduled to be completed this year. The work is being executed by a Kolkata-based company, Conveyor Ropeway Services Private Limited, at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

Kailasagiri is one of the spots favoured by tourists as the picturesque hill offers a panoramic view of the city and the Bay of Bengal. The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) is making all attempts to provide facilities to the tourists atop the hill, without, however, any damage to the environment and the serenity (and sanctity) of the place.

"We have declared the hill a plastic-free zone and developing the gardens and other facilities for tourists to have a good time," says Mr D. Srinivasulu, the Vice-chairman of the VUDA.

The ropeway project had been awarded to the Kolkata company on a build, own, operate and transfer basis for a period of 21 years. The company would collect Rs 35 per passenger and pay the VUDA a fixed monthly rental, he said.

The project manager, Mr G. Satish, said six cabins would travel uphill while six would be on the reverse route, and the system would keep running on six towers. He said the imported rope had landed in Mumbai and was expected here soon. The lower station had been completed and the work on the upper station was in progress, he explained.

The VUDA had written to the Central Public Works Department to obtain a pre-commissioning safety certificate and the central team would arrive later this month for the purpose, he added. Mr Srinivasulu said the circular rail project had been entrusted to a Hyderabad-based company and it would be completed after the ropeway. "We are sure the Kailasagiri would be a big draw," he said.

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