Second cable car service for Nepal

Himalayan News Service

Dharan, April 27

A cable car is to be operated from Dharan to Baraha, a pilgrim centre in eastern Nepal. This cable car service would be the second cable car service in Nepal, the first service being the Kurintar-Manakamana temple.

Baraha, 17 kilometres from Dharan, will be more easily accessible now, since China Mechanical Building International Corporation (CMIC), China has shown concerns over the inaccessibility of the religious place and has offered to aid building a cable car up to the site. Locals expect more business and development to the area after the cable car service begins.

The local government and CMIC have already reached an agreement to build this cable car service, with reciprocal support. According to the agreement, locally owned government offices are to put up 20 per cent of the investment and CMIC is to fund the remaining 80 per cent of the total cost to construct the service. It is reported that the works will need about one billion rupees to complete.

The announcement was made at the moment when mayor of Dharan municipality, Manoj Kumar Meyangwo, is embarking on a ten-day visit to China. The Mayor is to visit China to form a relationship between a municipality similar to Dharan in China, along with Janardhan Acharya, member of National Assembly, Rambabu Tiwari, general secretary of Nepal-China friendship Society and Gagat Bahadur KC, who is the dean of Central Technology Campus, Hattisar. They are going there at the friendly invitation of the Chinese Ambassador.

'We are very happy about the Chinese proposal and find ourselves lucky', acting mayor Hariharpyara told to The Himalayan Times. Mayor Mayangwo said that he expects to achieve an agreement on more support from China regarding the developmental proposal adding, 'It is positive that China partakes in development going on in Nepal, especially in Dharan.'

The Chinese Ambassador visited Dharan to observe how and whether China could provide such support for a project. However, at that time, the Ambassador stated that China would help Dharan within its environmental and sports sector. Mayor Mayangwo noted that he is more optimistic that channels would be opened after his visit, because China is so very eager to help Nepal.

Municipality sources stated that the Forum for Energy and Development Pvt Ltd (FED) had reported to the Chinese company that Dharan-Baraha cable car could be productive, after having conducted some research on the locality. CMIC had already conducted a study on the possibility of opening a cable car service at Dharan-Bhedetar, but the report said that Dharan-Bhedetar cable car would not be for the long-term and was cancelled. However, the service Dharan-Baraha is moving forward.