MUMBAI: The Public Works Department (PWD) has invited bids to appoint a consultant to prepare an architectural design for the proposed ropeway connecting Mulund to Taramati Mata Temple inside SGNP. Officials said the tender scope includes identifying alignments and locations, assessing land requirements, benchmarking international ropeway systems and conducting engineering investigations, including topographical, geotechnical, geodetic, hydrographic and reconnaissance surveys.Construction inside a notified National Park in India is legally prohibited, unless it is explicitly meant for the management and betterment of wildlife, and has received the highest levels of statutory clearance. National Parks enjoy the highest tier of environmental protection.
Mulund BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha had earlier demanded a ropeway connecting the foothills to Taramati Mata Temple to boost tourism. Welcoming the development, Kotecha said, “During the 2024 poll campaign, we promised to develop a ropeway from the foothills of Mulund to Taramati Mata Temple, located atop the picturesque hills of Mulund, to promote tourism. It is heartening that the PWD has now floated a tender to appoint a consultant to prepare the architectural design of the project. This tender is not for a commercial ropeway from Mulund to Borivli. It is exclusively for a ropeway within Mulund, connecting the foothills to Taramati Mata Temple, which is located within the boundaries of SGNP.”Dismissing speculation that the ropeway would extend to Borivli, Kotecha clarified that the project would proceed only after the detailed design is finalised and all requisite clearances are obtained from the Centre’s forest and environment departments.“We have proposed a beautiful observatory where tourists can seek the blessings of Taramati Mata Temple by taking the ropeway and also soak in the breathtaking views of SGNP from the observatory. The entire proposal is aimed at boosting tourism not just in Mulund but across Mumbai. The city currently does not have a single ropeway, and this project will help promote tourism while showcasing the natural beauty of SGNP and Tulsi Lake,” he said.Green activist Zoru Bathena said the need for a ropeway from Mulund into SGNP was questionable, though ropeways were among the least invasive transport options for forests. “There are ropeways in forests in many places. So this is the least invasive compared to roads or walkways. The PWD will have to take clearances from the forest and environment department. So unless their clearances are received, the project can’t and must not go through,” Bathena said.Officials said construction inside a notified national park is legally prohibited unless explicitly intended for wildlife management and improvement and granted the highest levels of statutory clearance. National parks enjoy the highest tier of environmental protection, with strict restrictions on human intervention.Consultants will also have to prepare the detailed ropeway alignment and system design, identify the origin and destination stations, estimate the project cost and assess its social, environmental, forest and wildlife impacts.
