The Assam government on Monday inaugurated a 1.8-km-long ropeway over the Brahmaputra, connecting Guwahati to North Guwahati. Officials have said that it is the longest ropeway on a river in India.
Built at a cost of Rs 56 crore, it comprises of two cabins, each with a capacity of 30 passengers and one operator. It takes eight minutes to traverse the entire length of the ropeway. “This is one of the most advanced & longest river crossing Aerial Tramway systems in India,” said senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who inaugurated the ropeway.
“With the blessings of Umananda, we dedicate the ropeway between Guwahati and North Guwahati to the people of Assam. Apart from substantially reducing travel time, the ropeway will provide a breathtaking view of the mighty Brahmaputra and promote tourism in the State,” Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a tweet.
The ropeway will be operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati and the Dol Govinda Temple in North Guwahati. It will pass the Umananda Temple on a small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra.
At the inauguration, Sarma also recounted how he had first initiated talks back in 2003 about a ropeway project over the Brahmaputra. He later tweeted, “The ropeway was conceived by GoA as an enabling infra project for additional all-purpose transportation between two banks of river Brahmaputra.”
