Wayanad ropeway project soon to take off

KALPETTA: The Wayanad Chamber of Commerce with the support of investors is set to build a ropeway connecting Adivaram in Kozhikode district with Lakkidy in Wayanad through the Wayanad ghats. A private limited company, the Wayanad Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Company, which was formed for the purpose, has purchased one acre of land at Lakkidy for the landing of the cable car.

WCC president Johnny Pattani told DC that a feasibility study had been already completed with the assistance of Conveyor and Ropeway Services Private Limited based in Kolkata. "We have sought the support from the panchayats concerned, Wayanad district administration and various departments for the initiative," Mr Pattani said. Noted architect C.P. Sylesh of Wayanad Tourism Organisation told DC that the project had been hanging fire for the last many years. "It is good that somebody came up to support the project which would boost the tourism prospects of Wayanad," he added.

"The District Tourism Promotion Council had earlier included the project in its 'would be' list, but failed to execute it due to its high cost," he said. The Wayanad chamber will call an investors' meet in Kochi and Dubai soon to mobilise funds for the project, which is expected to cost Rs 30 crore. However, the green signal from the centre and the state and the forest department is yet to be received. The leading lights of the project and the stakeholders in the tourism industry hope that the project would change the tourism industry of the region.