Umananda temple, which will be connected to Guwahati by the ropeway. Picture by UB Photos

May 8: The ropeway project for connecting Guwahati with Umananda river island and North Guwahati has received a fillip.

The Kamrup (metropolitan) administration has decided to form a technical committee with experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati.

This panel will select a consultancy firm for preparing the detailed project report and environmental impact assessment report for constructing the ropeway project.

A senior district administration official said Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Samir K. Sinha has requested IIT (Guwahati) director Gautam Baruah to depute two technical experts from the institution to evaluate the technical bids for the project.

In March, the district administration had invited bids from reputed firms with experience in survey, design and execution of similar projects along with key personnel and organisational set-up to implement this project.

The district administration had stipulated that interested parties should have experience in executing three such ropeway projects, one of which would have to be in the country.

The firm should preferably have a local office or tie up with a local firm and should have adequate financial capability to carry out such a project.

Already, five consultancy firms have come forward and submitted expressions of interest.

?The district administration has requested the IIT director to depute a couple of experts, preferably from the civil and mechanical engineering departments, to help us select the best among the bidders. The decision to engage experts from IIT was made because the scope of the work is very technical as it includes detailed engineering surveys and investigations of sites, preparation of detailed project reports along with environment impact assessment report and cost estimates,? the source said.

He added that IIT, Guwahati, has agreed to their request. Apart from the experts from the IIT, the proposed committee will also have a financial expert and a representative of the deputy commissioner.

The ropeway project is part of the state government’s efforts to develop the city’s riverfront.

The lush green island of Umananda, situated in the Brahmaputra off Guwahati, attracts pilgrims, tourists as well as residents who wish to escape city life to unwind in the serene ambience of the island.

The DoNER ministry has agreed, in principle, to sanction Rs 10 crore to build the ropeway.

It has asked the state government to submit a detailed project report in this regard.