After four years since the project’s announcement, significant progress has finally been made on the ropeway to Nandi Hill, located close to Bengaluru. The construction of the Lower Terminal Point (LTP) has commenced, although the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has yet to grant clearance for five acres required for the construction of the Upper Terminal Point (UTP).
A senior official from the Tourism Department informed The Hindu, “A total of seven acres of land at the foothills of Nandi hills was handed over to Dyanamicx Ropeway Private Limited (DRPL) in 2025. They are currently constructing the ground-level base station of the LTP for the cable car operations. The site is located in Madaku Hosahalli village, near the Kanive Basaveshwara Swamy temple.”
The official reported that almost 20% of the construction of the LTP has been completed.
“The terminal building work has reached the second floor, and two additional utility buildings are underway. Slab concreting is ongoing, and the foundation for the food court has also been established. The land was assigned to the private company after an extensive analysis of soil stability, proof checking, and structural design review by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad over three months. An independent engineer and a safety engineer from the Tourism Department also evaluated and approved the project before construction began,” the official added.
Highlighting key features, the official mentioned, “The facility will include car parking space for at least 200 cars, 150 two-wheelers, and buses, with a designated waiting area for tourists at the LTP.”
The Tourism Department has entered into a contract with another private company, Leitner-Italy, to procure necessary ropeway components. However, the initial delivery of these components has been delayed. The official stated, “The delivery of these components is on hold due to the delay in obtaining clearances from the Forest Department.”
While these developments are progressing, the Tourism Department is still awaiting clearance from the MoEFCC for the UTP’s construction. They have uploaded the necessary documentation for the UTP and 12 towers required in the cable car movement corridor on the official Parivesh portal.
“Due to the lack of forest clearance, the No Objection Certificate from the gram panchayat, the Fire Department, Pollution Control Board, and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are also pending,” the official noted.
Recently, Tourism Minister K. J. George emphasized that the efforts to secure the necessary forest clearances are accelerating. As a result of the Minister’s directions, a special coordination mechanism has been set up in New Delhi to expedite the approval process.
