Gangtok, July 1, 2017: Conveyor and Ropeway Services Pvt Ltd (CRSPL) in association with Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Sikkim today inaugurated India’s highest altitude passenger ropeway at Tsomgo Lake in Sikkim. It was inaugurated by State Minister-in-Charge of Tourism & Civil Aviation Ugen T Gyatso, in the presence of local MLA D T Lepcha, Mr Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha Hissey Lachungpa, Managing Director of Conveyor & Ropeway Services Pvt Ltd Shekhar Chakravarty and Director of Conveyor & Ropeway Services Pvt Ltd Rachana Mukherjee. The Ropeway has been designed and constructed by Conveyor & Ropeway Services Pvt Ltd (CRSPL), on BOOT basis, in association with Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, Sikkim.

An agreement was signed between the two parties for construction and Operation & Maintenance of the Ropeway for 20 years. CRSPL has added another feather in its cap by successfully commissioning the Passenger Ropeway. “We feel that this Ropeway will be a star attraction for the tourists and would definitely boost tourism and increase number of people visiting Tsomgo Lake. It will provide a new horizon to the beautiful state of Sikkim with an aid for employment generation for local youths and also develop the adjacent areas, with advent of this new eco-friendly transportation means, benefiting the local people in socio-economic and environmental causes,” said Mr Chakravarty said.

“We are extremely delighted to commission India’s highest altitude passanger ropeway. We are having all kinds of safety features as per latest technology such as Rope, Disc Brake, Rubber Liners,etc are imported. The inbuilt capacity of this ropeway is 800 Passengers Per Hour (PPH),” said Ms Mukherjee. “We have 12 Ropeway cabins, 6-passengers can accommodate in each cabin. All cabins have automatic door opening and closing mechanism”, said Ms Mukherjee added. The Ropeway takes off from the Lower Station, right side of Alpine Caf and travels 625 meter to reach the Upper Station at a height of 3770 meter above sea level.The passengers there will experience the most exceptional destinations in Sikkim, which will provide the bird’s eye view of Tsomgo Lake, magnificent Kanchanjungha range and Nathula Pass. The operation time of the ropeway is daily from 0900 to 1600 hours and the tariff is Rs 250 plus taxes for up and down journey. Children below three years will enjoy free rides. Tsomgo Lake also known as Tsomgmo Lake or Changu Lake, is a glacial lake in East Sikkiim District of the about 40 km from state capital Gantok. Located at an elevation of 3753 meter (12313 ft.), the lake remains frozen during winter season.

The lake surface reflects different colours with change of seasons and is held in great reverence by local people. Buddhist monks prognosticated after studying the changing colours of the lake.

“Taking in view of the disruption and shut down that the road route between Gangtok and Tsomgo suffers on account of various factors, a few to name, Landslides, Rains, Snowfall and road subsistence during rainy and winter seasons, had looked into the possibility of implementing a Ropeway of a Unique Technology developed by CRSPL, to connect aerially Tsomgo with Gangtok.The system technology already received grant of Patent from whole of Europe (36 countries) and China as well,” added Mr Chakravarty.

CRSPL has also developed CURVO, a Non-linear Aerial Ropeway System, for the first time in the world, for urban commutation. This internationally patented 2nd tier system can fly over existing arterial city road routes and help in reducing pollution, congestion, road accident, health hazards etc. CRSPL is keen to offer this unique technology for the benefit of people of Sikkim.

Source: News Agencies

Image: Representational from Internet sources