Mumbai corporator proposes cable car from Malabar Hill to Nariman Point

The Viewing Gallery at Kamala Nehru Park. Pics/Bipin Kokate

There are different ways to view the Mumbai skyline, and 'D' ward (which falls in South Mumbai) corporator Jyotsna Mehta says, "a cable car is one of them." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator has mooted a proposal in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for a cable car (ropeway) from the new Viewing Gallery next to Kamala Nehru Park, to Nariman Point.

Mehta said, 'I mooted the idea early this month. I thought we could have a cable car facility as a tourist attraction, especially now that we have a new viewing gallery at Malabar Hill, frequented by so many tourists. It can be a great lure for them to view the skyline in a different setting."

Corporator Jyotsna Mehta

When asked about the feasibility, Mehta said, "There are so many places in India which have cable cars, Kashmir and even Saputara for instance. If they can have cable cars, why not Mumbai? Critics and skeptics abound, but you have to think out of the box, and take the first step," said Mehta with a touch of the feisty. She added, "We could have a stop (cable station) at the Shivaji Smarak being planned in the sea. However, that stop is only a suggestion, the cable car overall is the important point," finished Mehta, who lives on Malabar Hill.

Thumbs up technically
Raj Dasadia, Mumbai civil engineer, said that the idea is feasible. "It may be a novel dimension to our tourist infrastructure but of course, parameters have to be worked on. The distance should range from 5 km to a little more, above the sea. Through this proposal I can ascertain that the start point is on a hill (Malabar Hill) and then we come to slightly lower ground (Nariman Point). It can certainly be done from a technical point of view, with all other factors taken into consideration," he said.

Raj Dasadia (left) and Shashi Prabhu

Shashi Prabhu, senior architect and urban planner who has designed Wankhede Stadium, agreed that the project is, "technically viable. The distance we are talking about is 5 to 7 km, which is doable for a cable car project. This will be a joyride for tourists, but it should give Returns on Investments. The big question will be financial feasibility. It is the Returns on Investments that will ensure maintenance of these cable cars. We have to think about how many cable cars, columns for the ropeways, which I guess that is for a later stage. At the outset, as a technical person, this is doable."

Prabhu added though, that, "A lot of Indians travel within and out of the country now, so the novelty value of a cable car per se may not be what draws them to the ropeway. Yet, it may see greater influx of tourism. It does have potential, and as an idea, I must say it is bold and adventurous. What it needs is solid backing, the will and vision, plus of course, finance to be transformed to reality."

All-round vision
Anita Garware, Malabar Hill resident and heritage expert said, "The cable car proposal must be looked at in its entirety. While it may boost tourism, we have to factor in where people who come for cable rides will park their cars for instance. There is no space at Malabar Hill for parking, there is no space at Nariman Point. This is not to play party pooper for any proposal, only to stress the importance of looking at an idea through a proper, all-encompassing prism." Mehta acknowledges that the project will need great planning and thought but insisted these are early days yet. "We have to start somewhere," she said from her office at Nana Chowk. "We also need great determination and belief, which I have. After all where there is a (Malabar) Hill, there is a way," she finished.

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