India's longest river ropeway connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati over Brahmaputra River inaugurated

India's longest river ropeway was inaugurated today in Assam by Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya. The 1.8-kilometre-long ropeway service connects Guwahati and North Guwahati over River Brahmaputra. The ropeway has been operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati to Dol Govinda temple in North Guwahati.

The ropeway has been built as per state-of-the-art technology following relevant norms. The opening of ropeway service would reduce the travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati as well as boost the tourism sector.

Sarbananda Sonowal, the Chief Minister of Assam, in a tweet today said, "With the blessings of Umananda, we dedicate the ropeway between Guwahati and North Guwahati to the people of Assam. Apart from substantially reducing travel time, the ropeway will provide a breathtaking view of the mighty Brahmaputra and promote tourism in the State."

The distance is to be covered in seven to eight minutes. Due to COVID-19 health guidelines, only 15 passengers will be carried one time as of now, which is half of the capacity.

The ropeway service would provide opportunities to see the landscapes of Guwahati city, mighty Brahmaputra and the Umananda Temple on Peacock Island among others.

One way of the ride would cost Rs 60, while a two-way commute would require Rs 100. Passengers can avail daily, weekly and monthly passes as well.

At present, the ropeway will be operational from 8 am till 6 pm. As many as 58 CCTV cameras have been reportedly installed for round-the-clock monitoring of the ropeway service.

The work on the ropeway project was initiated in 2006 by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authorities as part of beautifying the Brahmaputra riverfront. However, a major portion of work was finally completed in 2019. It has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs 56 crore.