Jawahar Udyan in Hirakud. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, June 5: Work on an 800-metre ropeway between Jawahar Udyan and Gandhi Minar of Hirakud will begin shortly. The survey for the project has already been completed.

Jawahar Udyan is a park in Hirakud town, around 12km from Sambalpur and the Gandhi Minar is a tower at the Hirakud Dam site. Both the places, which are taken care of by the main dam division, attract thousands of tourists.

“The Odisha Construction Corporation will execute the work and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the project,” executive engineer of the main dam division Joshobanta Parida told The Telegraph.

“Odisha Construction Corporation officials have visited the site and conducted a survey. It will invite bids for the project shortly,” said Parida.

Thousands of people visit the Jawahar Udyan. In winter, around 5,000 people visit the garden every day. Most people coming to the garden also visit the Gandhi Minar to have a picturesque view of the dam from the top of the tower.

“The decision to connect both the sites with a ropeway will boost tourism in this region,” said Kamalakshay Pruseth, a local resident.

This will be the first ropeway in the area.

“They should expedite the official process and execute the proposal as soon as possible,” said Gyanabrata Sahu, a tourist.