Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The second cable car project in Kathmandu Valley is gaining momentum as Champadevi Eco-Friendly Company Ltd has submitted the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to the Ministry of Forest and Environment for approval.
The ministry has floated the report for discussion among locals of affected areas and other stakeholders to collect their feedback..
The proposed cable car line will connect Bosan of Dakshinkali Municipality-1 to Champadevi hill in Kirtipur Municipality-4, aiming to boost tourism and local employment while offering a new tourism product in the Valley.
The top station of the cable car line will be built on Champadevi Hill, which is located adjacent to the Chandragiri Ridge where a cable car line is already operational. The Champadevi cable car will have 12 towers and span 2.075 kilometers. It will have 34 gondolas with a capacity of 10 passengers each. The cable car can serve up to 5,000 visitors daily. A one-way ride will take approximately 6.01 minutes, according to the report.
The top station of the project will spread over 1.80 hectares in Kirtipur, while the lower station will occupy 5,975 square meters. The project will utilize a total of five hectares of forest area.
In addition to the cable car infrastructure, the upper station will feature a recreational facility that will include an indoor gaming zone and adventure sports area as well as a restaurant and a conference hall.
According to the report, a temple complex, spanning 0.4 hectares, will also be built at the top. It will house several religious structures, including the Chandra-Surya Gate, Ganesh Temple, Shiva Temple, Champadevi Temple and a Buddhist Stupa.
The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 5 billion. Vishal Group, the Shanghai Group and Kamalesh Agrawal are the promoters of the project.
The project will create 300 jobs during the construction phase and 213 in the operational phase, according to the report.
