Can build French-style ropeways, cable cars in hilly areas: Nitin Gadkari

The Union Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister said that like France, they should use electricity

There is potential to build thousands of ropeways, cable cars and funicular railways in India's hilly regions, just like in France, Union Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.

Gadkari, who was in Goa to conduct a review of all works related to major ports in the country, also said that the newly formed Indian Port Rail Corporation would be mandated with studying existing global construction and security norms for adaptation of the same in India vis-a-vis the alternative travel system projects.

"France alone has around 5,000 ropeways, cable car and funicular runway... We can undertake thousands of projects in hilly areas. Instead of using diesel, we can use electricity," Gadkari said.

The Corporation, he said, will scout for an international organisation of repute to set up such transport systems after signing a joint venture for technology exchange.

"The most important thing is that the security norms and the construction norms in our country are not so updated. There are ropeways in some places. International codes and norms will be studied and a code will be created (for India)," Gadkari said.

"The Corporation will study codes and norms across the world and will submit it to us. We will clear it after getting approval from other departments," he added.

Gadkari also said that in Goa, coastal hotels and resorts could be asked to construct temporary jetties, where tourists arriving from airports can be ferried to, with the help of waterways.

The Minister also said, that at the under-construction greenfield airport at Mopa plateau in north Goa, a canal should be build so that the landlocked region could be accessed by waterway and passengers could be ferried to and from the facility by boats.