Free helipad at Sewri: Mid-sea ropeway a step closer to reality

One of the most ambitious projects of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), the 8-km-long Sewri and Elephanta island mid-sea ropeway gets closer to reality.

The government has decided to construct a temporary helipad at Hay Bunder in Sewri which will be used by contractors during the construction phase and help tackle emergency that might come up during construction of the ropeway.

"We got around 150 queries from prospective bidders who want to undertake the ropeway project on Public Private Partnership model. One of the frequently asked queries was whether they can use helicopters during the construction phase. We have informed them that space for temporary helipad will be given at Hay Bunder, Sewree free of cost," said an MbPT official.

According to the project report prepared by MbPT, the estimated cost of the ropeway project would be over Rs 700 crore, and it expects around Rs 378 crore as annual turnover. The report in this context reads: "We envisage the turnover to be in the region of Rs 378 crore. This is based on an average of 20,000 people per day utilising the rope-way systems."

Constructing a temporary helipad will require clearances from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Further, the recently prepared report by MbPT reveals that "the proposed ropeway project will not have a significant impact on migratory birds, as the presence of the ropeway lines, structures do not pose barriers to migration."

The 8-km-long ropeway is expected to boost tourism in the city, and for which the tentative fare is expected to be around Rs 500 for the journey both ways for Indians and Rs 1,000 for foreign tourists. However, here the whole investment is going to be from the private sector, and MbPT will allow the private firm who builds to earn from the commercial operations in the form of ticketing and non-ticketing revenue.

Elephanta caves at Elephanta island is declared as a world heritage site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and due to which clearance will have to be taken from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with Indian Navy, Coastguard and several other clearances like that of environmental clearances.