Rs 55 bn Parbat–Muktinath Cable Car project EIA prepared, Plan includes 20 stations and 871 Gondolas

KATHMANDU: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the ambitious Parbat–Muktinath cable car project, estimated to cost Rs 55 billion, has been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Forests and Environment for approval.

The report was submitted by Muktinath Darshan Pvt Ltd through the Investment Board, and the ministry has now made it public for suggestions and feedback.

Project scale and route

According to the report, the proposed cable car will stretch 81.041 kilometres, making it one of the longest ropeway transport systems in South Asia if completed. The system will include 20 stations, enabling passengers to reach Muktinath in approximately 3 hours and 36 minutes in a non-stop journey.

The project will start from Sheraphant in Modi Rural Municipality–1 of Parbat and pass through multiple local levels across Gandaki Province, including areas of Kaski, Myagdi and Mustang districts before ending at Chegerisi near Muktinath.

The alignment will traverse the watersheds of the Kali Gandaki and Modi rivers and pass through key settlements and trekking points such as Sheraphant, Bhukbensi, Ulleri, Ghorepani, Sikha, Ghar, Narchyang, Kabre, Ghassa, Lete, Kobang, Tukuche, Chokhopani, Marpha, Jomsom/Thini, Kagbeni and Khinga.

Technical specifications

The EIA states that the system will include:

871 passenger gondolas

442 towers

20 stations along the route

The cable car will begin at an altitude of 1,009 metres above sea level and end at 3,653 metres, connecting mid-hills to the high Himalayan pilgrimage zone.

Each gondola is designed to carry 10 passengers, spaced roughly 234 metres apart, and operate at a speed of 7 metres per second. The project is expected to require up to 13 megawatts of electricity during operation.

Tourism and transport objectives

The project is planned as a major tourism infrastructure investment aimed at promoting the Dhaulagiri–Annapurna region while offering an alternative mass transportation system to Muktinath, one of Nepal’s most important religious destinations for both Hindus and Buddhists.

The report highlights that the cable car is expected to:

Reduce travel time dramatically compared to road journeys

Provide year-round transport access regardless of weather

Promote eco-friendly tourism mobility

Offer a distinct natural and cultural travel experience

Support regional tourism growth and pilgrimage flow

Alternatives studied

During the EIA process, four major alternatives were analysed:

Not constructing the project

Expanding existing road access

Expanding airport infrastructure in the region

Building the cable car system

The study concluded that the cable car option would be the most environmentally viable long-term solution due to lower land use, reduced pollution, lower transport risk, and weather resilience.

Environmental and land requirements

The total environmental mitigation cost of the project is estimated at Rs 781.25 million.

The project will require 271.75 hectares of land, including:

34.314 hectares for stations

3.8 hectares for towers

233 hectares for the right-of-way corridor

A significant portion of the alignment falls within protected and forest areas:

218 hectares lie within the Annapurna Conservation Area

220 hectares fall under community forest zones

The report estimates that 229 households will be affected by the project, with 34 households expected to be displaced.

Employment generation

The project is projected to create substantial employment opportunities, including:

1,769 jobs during the construction phase

439 permanent jobs during operation

If approved, the Parbat–Muktinath cable car could become one of Nepal’s largest tourism infrastructure projects, potentially reshaping access to the Mustang pilgrimage corridor while introducing a new model of high-capacity mountain transport in the country.