Itahari, March 8

First commercial operation of a zip line started in Province 1 from today.

Province 1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai inaugurated the 650-metre zip line project. The zip line starting from takeoff station at the welcome gate of Bhedetar runs up to the landing station of Debhithan in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-4. Dharan Sub-metropolis Deputy Mayor Manju Bhandari made the 45-second long maiden ride from the starting point at Bhedetar to Debhithan.

Speaking at the inaugural programme, CM Rai and Deputy Mayor Bhandari both extended their best wishes and pledged all possible support to the new tourism project in the province.

According to Worldwide Nepal Group Private Limited, which owns the zip line project, the project was conceptualised two years ago and built within four months starting December 2019.

“We hired technicians from Austria and procured high quality equipment from USA to operate this service,’’ said Bibas Bhandari, proprietor of the zip flyer.

Bhandari is also one of the owners of the 1100-metre Dhulikhel Zip Flyer in Kavre district.

According to Bhandari, maximum length of the zip flyer is 300 metre and the altitude difference between takeoff and landing station is 43 metres.

The takeoff station lies at 1,420 metres above sea level. The 16mm diameter zip line cable has load capacity of 11,300 kilogram, harness has 2,200 kilogram capacity and the capacity of carabiner is 2,700 kilograms, said another co-owner Kedar Thapa.

Tourism entrepreneur Krishna Shah said the zip flyer at the confluence of Dharan and Bhedetar was a great initiative to promote tourism in the area.

“Dharan is a famous city and Bhedetar is a part of Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality in Dhankuta that has been declared as one of the touristic centres by the provincial government,’’ Shah said, adding, “This new project has added charm to already popular travel destinations in the vicinity.’’

Shah said besides domestic tourists, tourists from neighbouring Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal were likely to be attracted to this new adventure, “Dharan and Bhedetar are within few hours of vehicular distance from bordering areas of Bihar and West Bengal and this project can lure tourists from those places,’’ said Shah.