Paper on

Graduating Upwards from Suspension Bridges to Ropeways and Cable Cars

Nepal's Experience and Expertise

Presented byBhim P Upadhyaya

Joint SecretaryMinistry of Peace and Reconstruction

for National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) for the Simposium'Carbon Neutral Pathways in Nepal with a Special Focus on Ropeways and

Electric Transport'23 Nov, 2014

Nepal's Experience and Expertise-1

4 decades of designing, fabrication , installation construction of more than 5500 numbers suspension bridges experience.

Nepal has developed proper know-hows and appropriate technologies.

Almost all accessories and construction component parts are fabricated produced or manufactured in Nepal, more than 3 dozens of steel works factories in Nepal.

No manufacturing of steel cable wire ropes as yet.

Sufficient numbers of cement factories, construction materials sand, stones and bricks are easily available everywhere.

Therefore, the country of large numbers of rivers and streams and more than 80% of land covered by Hills and Mountains, suspension bridges are life lines to remote people.

Being a virgin and beautiful terrain with natural resources and beauties tourism and agriculture development has a great potential.

Nepal's Experience and Expertise-2 Cable cars can be a very popular means of transport for

tourism, pilgrimages and small amount agricultural produces transportation.

Likewise Ropeways for transportation of construction materials, agricultural inputs and outputs can solve an alternative means of transportation if not for passengers.

Expensive roads building might not be feasible and technical justifiable given the environmental situations.

However, power availability is a big crunch. Micro or small hydro power plants can be developed with a package master plan.

Then ropeways and cable care could economically serve as per the affording capacity of the common people.

Nepal's Experience and Expertise-3Nepal has already a very good expertise developed in

micro and small hydropower development along with cable technologies.

Cable car and ropeways however require a robust safety measures to ensure safety of the commuters. So such technologies in Cable cars and Ropeways for mechanical parts can be procured from the best wherever available in the abroad. Switzerland, Germany to name a few have the most reliable technology with full safety.

For other small components Nepali firms and companies can take the responsibility.

Nepal's Experience and Expertise-4

Joint venture companies with foreign companies could be a viable development arrangement in cable and ropeways.

Mechanised bridges over rivers are also installed at different places. Kusma is a very good example of financially feasible one.

Nepal has so far only one cable car service to MankamanaTemple. There are many such Pilgrim centers which can be connected by cable cars like in Mankamana Model.

From Next year a cable car will be ready for service in Kathamandu Valley joining Chandragiri Hill resort. Phewalake to Sarangkot cable car is already ready.

Likewise there are many proposals in pipeline in Tourism Department for cable car development.

Nepal's Experience and Expertise-5

So cable car service are very viable to the promotion of tourism as well, however, the shortage of electric power is the main hindrance.

private sectors are installing diesel generators for power, which in turn, makes tariff very expensive.

Gravity ropeways are also experimented. It can transport only 1 quintal at a time. There are about a dozen of such gravity ropeways under operation, some very successful.

Thus, Given the terrain of Nepal, ropeways and cable cars can be a economically environmentally and financially viable transportation enterprise.

With the expertise developed so far on Micro and small hydropower sectors along with suspension bridge designing and construction, high time to go for cable cars and ropeways technologies.

Cable Cars/ Ropeways/ Mech Bridges

A.Cable Cars

1. Kurintar- Mankamana

2. Chandragiri -Thankot

3. Swargadwari- Bhingri

4.Mustang- Muktinath

5. Khaptad-Doti

6. Kathmandu- Shivpuri

7. Kathmandu- Kakani

8. Dhunche- Gosainkunda

9. Godarwari –Phulchoki

10.Pathivara- Phedi

11 Kalinchok-Kuri

12. Manma- Airport

13 Kathmandu Outer Ring

14. Bhaktapur Nagarkot

15. Burtibang Dhorpatan

16. Tamghas Resunga

17. Phewa- Sarangkot

ropeways and Mechanized bridges

C.Mechanised Bridges (over longrivers ):

1.Kotre Pandittar Tanahu

2.Kushma Balewa Parbat

3.Dhansari Belsot Sindhuli

B.Ropeways:

1.Hetauta Kathmandu

2.Bhattedada Majhkhanda

3. Beni Jomsom

4.Surkhet Jumla

5.Humla Achham

Chovar Susp Bridge

Old Suspension Bridge in Kavre

Chuliledar Manang(TB in the highest altitude 4200m)

12

Hilsa – Humla(The most remote bridge in the country)

13

Buwajor Suspended Bridge, Khotang

Span: 350 m, Sunkoshi River

Longest Suspended Bridge

kushma gyadi highest free board bridge

Kushma to Bajgain kaligandakiRiver

MADIKHOLA SUSPBRIDGE LONGEST 355M

Exported to Burundi

EXPORTED TO INDONESIA

1919

DODHARA CHADANI MAHAKALI BRIDGE 1452M

21

DOBILLA PHALEBAS COMMUNITY MOTORABLE SUSP BRIDGE

karnali cable stayed bridge

Bheri Suspension Bridge

tuin traditional

TUIN MECHANISED

Bhojpur jeep thru tuin

Kathmandu Hetauda Ropeway

Gravity Ropeway27

Mechanised Bridges Kotre and Kamala

Kushma balewa Mech Bridge

Zip flyer in Pokhara

Cableways

Kath-valley Cable Car

Conclusion ! Its high time to go for cable car and ropeway services. FDI can be welcomed. Ropeways can be an alternative viable means for high

value crops transportation. Cable car service for pilgrim and tourism spots.Micro small hydro-power plants can be developed as a

package to these services. Cable manufacturing companies can be welcomed for

domestic and exports in Nepal. Construction materials and engineers are available in the

country. Zero Emission technologies can earn carbon credit.Nepali income and remittances have increased so

affordable and more viable now than before in the history.

A BIG THANK YOU