Reach Elephanta caves in just 14 mins
If you wish to explore Elephanta caves but are bored to spend more than an hour in the boat ride then here's some good news for you. You can soon cut that long time of travelling to Elephanta caves in just 14 minutes. The island of Gharapuri that has Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will soon be a quick travelling affair. The Mumbai Port Trust is going to build a ropeway that connects Sewri to Elephanta, which will get you there in just 14 minutes (one way). This is four times less than the than the hour-long duration that a ferry takes. If all goes well then this will be country’s first ropeway over the sea which will connect a city to the island over a distance of eight kilometers. As per a report published in The Times of India, Sanjay Bhatia, Chairman, Mumbai Port Trust, said, "We are extremely keen on this project as it's going to be a huge help to Mumbaikars, in addition to drawing travellers. As per plans, the two places will be connected by a ropeway, with poles in between. So far, we've received the expression of interest from 6-7 major bidders and have gone through their ideas. We will now invite regular bids for it." The ropeway is set to be quite high, roughly at 50-100 meters or more. It will also be crossing over the channel (a ship's pathway through the water), so the height requirement has to be kept in mind for its design. Safety will be the first priority in the project as it is over the sea. The proposed ropeway will offer a beautiful, sweeping view of the Eastern coastal side of the city and it will also have a scenic view of flamingoes during the season as it is more open with large mudflats. This ride will be an all season ride and each ropeway can accommodate 20 people and might go up to 35 people. The authority is expecting more people to use it. The maximum capacity is 5,000-6,000 persons per hour for the ropeway. However initially, when it starts, it will be 2,000 people per hour. Each cable car will be air-conditioned, which is a first of its kind here. There will also be communication facilities in each cable car to tackle communication needs might arise during an emergency. The ride will start at Haji Bunder Sewri and will end at Gharapuri, Elephanta island. Currently, the place is only accessible through an hour-long ferry ride from Gateway of India, so this is really going to cut time and boost tourism. We are expecting more than 10,000 people per day in peak season. The MbPT also plans to construct a 250-meter high tower, mid-sea. The tower will be made as per international standards. To add to the fun, it will have a viewing deck on the top as well as restaurants with a glass base on its lower deck. This will surely be the next place for those who like to spend their weekends in a different way.India has ropeways over hilly terrain in places like Saputara, but this new ropeway will beat all the existing ones. "Those are all on a single ropeway system, but this will be a three-rope system (3 S), which ensures safety and security," says Pradip. The speed of the proposed ropeway is 8 metres per second, faster than the norm. As the Indian Ropeway Act allows only 4-5 metres per second. But the proposed Sewri-Elephanta ropeway can operate at 8 metres per second, which lets you make the distance in 14-15 minutes (each way). Steps are also being taken to amend the Ropeway Act in order to allow this speed.
