Cable car project at Nandi Hills gains some lift

Tourism department is hoping to get third time lucky for its pet project- cable car tourism at Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district.

The project has gained some momentum as first aerial survey will start next month. The State government had invited investments from private companies during the  Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart held recently in the City.

 Tourism department will soon float tenders and sign Memorandum of Understanding with investors to make the 97-acre area of Nandi Hills more attractive for tourists at the cost of Rs 20 crore.

“Four cable cars have been proposed at Nandi Hills, Chamundi Hill, Kemmangundi and Madhugiri Fort. It will be under Public-Private Partnership model. Bengaluru needs it as there is nothing much for the tourists in and around the City. Technical details are being chalked out,” tourism director G Satyavathi told Deccan Herald. Chikkaballapur deputy commissioner too has held a series of meetings with locals and gram panchayats.

Cable cars at Nandi Hills was proposed in 2004. It did not commence as the tender process got entangled in a legal battle. Later, it was proposed in 2013, but nothing materialised.

Deputy Conservator of forests, Chikkaballapur Deepa Contractor said, “Since seven kilometre area surrounding Nandi Hills is reserve forest, clearance under Forest Conservation Act is mandatory. However, we have given permission for 45-day area survey with 15 days extension, but with 12 conditions. They include - a team of forest officials will also be part of the survey, no entry into the area after sunset, cannot touch, break, pluck or take anything out of forest, no area should be damaged, all personal details of surveyors including identity card should be submitted to department, cannot photograph forest patch, flora and fauna and cannot take measurements of forest land in other places.

As per proposal, the primary hills listed for the cable car project are Nandi Hills, Avalubetta and Skandagiri. Since, the said stretch including the Narasimhadevara betta, is a reserve forest, we have to be cautious. One of the conditions listed states that the project will be stalled if any rare species of flora and fauna were found in the forest during the survey. Data cannot be tampered as surveyors will have to take forest officers with them, said the DCF.