industry

Shipping Ministry unit goes a step ahead of Niti Aayog on ropeways


NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog, the government’s premier think tank, and the shipping ministry could be heading for a tiff over development of ropeways in the country. While the Aayog is still doing stakeholders consultation on the draft model concession agreement on PPP framework for ropeways, the Indian Port Rail Corporation (IPRCL) has gone ahead and claimed it has expertise in development of ropeways based on European standards and that states should award projects to it.

The matter was brought to the notice of Niti Aayog, following which its member VK Saraswat held a high-level meeting with officials of IPRCL and the shipping ministry along with other stakeholders including the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) last week. IPRCL is a public sector undertaking under the ministry of shipping.

The Aayog had in March this year recommended CEN standards for ropeway installations in India. CEN standards are European standards that ensure high degree of reliability, safety and high-quality ropeway systems. Most ropeway installations across Europe, the US and China in segments like adventure, tourism and urban transport are based on the CEN standards.

A senior government official told ET that Saraswat had called the meeting following a letter from BIS in which the latter had claimed that the government should promote Indian Standards on ropeways to encourage ‘Make in India’.

“BIS has formulated five Indian Standards on different types of ropeways including the latest technology,” BIS had said. Sources who attended the meeting said Saraswat had told IPRCL that there has been no decision yet on the standards, whether Indian or European, to be followed in implementing ropeways in India across sectors. Hence, it will be improper to go ahead and call for projects based on the CEN technology.

The government feels there is a renewed focus on passenger ropeways with many states taking up ropeway projects for tourism and improving connectivity to inaccessible terrain.

Besides, it is also being considered as an alternative to urban transport in congested cities, as is done globally. Hence, the Aayog had prepared a draft note to attract private players to build ropeways in India.

Globally, ropeways are being considered over other modes of transport because they cause little obstruction to public life during implementation and can be set up in a short span of about two years. They have among the lowest carbon emissions in all urban transit options and cause extremely low levels of noiserelated pollution.





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