A long-cherished dream of enjoying a ropeway ride over the scenic Nandi Hills is finally turning into reality, as the district administration has begun the process of acquiring land for the ₹93.4 crore project, according to the Times of India.
Officials in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka, have issued a notice to acquire around four acres of land in Madaku Hosahalli village, close to the Kanive Basaveshwara Swamy temple at the base of the hills. This land will be used to build the lower terminal station and the path for the ropeway.
The planned base station will include parking for over 200 cars, 100 two-wheelers, and several buses, along with a waiting area big enough to hold more than 500 people.
According to the government notification, 281 square metres—about three guntas—have been marked for the terminal itself. An extra three acres and 32 guntas will be used for the ropeway route.
The district authorities have warned that no one should interfere with the land acquisition process. The notice clearly states that anyone causing problems for government staff, including survey teams, will face legal action.
Landowners have been told they cannot sell, lease, or transfer their land during this period. They have been given 60 days to raise objections with the Assistant Commissioner of Chikkaballapur subdivision if they wish to do so.
Chikkaballapur Deputy Commissioner PN Ravindra confirmed, “The process of acquiring land for the Nandi Hills ropeway project has started. We have already received clearance from the forest department, and work on the project will begin soon.”
The 2.9-kilometre-long ropeway will be built using a public-private partnership model, specifically DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer). A private company will run the ropeway system for 30 years.
Although the project was supposed to begin in 2022, it was delayed due to forest approvals and land concerns. Those issues have now been resolved, and the long-awaited ropeway is finally moving forward.
