New cable car line to link Fewa Lake with Sarangkot

POKHARA, April 15: Annapurna Cable Car Company (ACCC) is starting construction works on a cable car service that links Fewa Lake to Sarangkot within few days.

ACCC officials said the new cable car will start operation within one and half years. “We will start construction work after laying foundation stone after two weeks,” Tirtha Tripathi director of ACCC, told Republica. “Our cable car service, which will be 2.3 kilometers long, will link Sarangkot with Sedi Bagar which lies on the banks of Fewa Lake.”

Tripathi said the cable car service will promote tourism in Pokhara in general and Sarangkot in particular.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 800 million.

This is the second cable car project in Pokhara. Few weeks ago, the government allowed developers to prepare detailed project report (DPR) of a cable car line between Basundhara Park lying on the banks of Fewa Lake and World Peace Stupa of Pumdi Bhumdi VDC.

“Despite having immense potentials, Sarangkot is not getting sufficient number of tourists. The cable car service is expected to bring more tourists to this historical fort,” said Tripathi.

Chitwan Co-E Company has bagged contract for construction works on the cable car project. The company signed contract agreement with ACCC on Sunday.

Interestingly, Chitwan Co-E is one of the promoters of the cable car project linking Basundhara Park with World Peace Stupa.

Entrepreneur Kalu Gurung and a Japanese investor are the promoters of ACCC.

“We have already acquired required land for the project. We have taken 23 ropani of land on lease from the government,” said Tripathi. “We are erecting 13 poles and installing eight-seat cabins.”

Rajesh Babu Shrestha, director of Chitwan Co-E Company, said the cable car service will be constructed in Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) model. “We plan to complete all the works within 15 months,” said Shrestha. “As per the project design, this cable car line can serve 500 passengers in an hour.”

Som Thapa, president of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), said cable car services will help to bring more tourists to Pokhara. “It is good two know that two cable car projects are being implemented simultaneously,” he said, adding, “Cable car service will give a momentum to tourism industry of Pokhara.”

Tourism entrepreneurs say more than 90 percent of tourists visiting Pokhara will go to Sarangkot to watch sunrise once the cable car service starts operation.

Source: myrepublica