Agreement with Forest Department; foundation stone for Sabarimala ropeway may be laid in June

PATHANAMTHITTA: Devaswom Board will lay the foundation stone by the end of next month since the hurdles to release land for the Sabarimala ropeway to facilitate the movement of goods to Sannidhanam have been cleared.

Board President K Ananthagopan held a discussion with the officials of Damodhar Cable Constructions, the Kolkata company that took over the contract, yesterday. An expert team will visit Pampa this month to prepare a detailed project report. The report will be given within ten days.

Ropeway will be from Pampa KSEB to Sannidhanam Police Barrack. The agreement made by the forest department is to cut and remove only the trees in the places where concrete pillars are to be constructed in the forest area where the ropeway passes. Documents have been prepared to hand over ten acres of land of the Devaswom Board at Chinnakanal to the Forest Department in lieu of ten acres of land to be acquired for the project.

The forest department was mainly opposed to the construction of concrete pillars. The Devaswom Board pointed out that the Supreme Court had dismissed the dispute over the construction of a ropeway through the forest in Himachal Pradesh. The Union Ministry of Forests and Environment had earlier approved the Sabarimala project. Construction is expected to be completed within one year.

• Ropeway Length: 2.9 km
• Concrete Pillars: 19
• Minimum height: 40 meters
• Cost: 50 crores

If the ropeway comes

• The goods can be delivered quickly to Sannidhanam
• Ambulance service in case of emergency
• Tractors will be avoided. Pollution will be reduced

'Once the detailed project report is approved, the construction will be speeded up. The foundation stone is expected to be laid in June.'

K Anantha Gopan,

Devaswom Board President