PMC standing committee approves consultant for Sarasbaug-Parvati ropeway, 1,500 riders an hour

Pune, October 31, 2026: The standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved the appointment of a project management consultant for the proposed Sarasbaug-Parvati ropeway project. Standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale announced the decision on Saturday.

The civic body has proposed the ropeway to promote tourism in Pune. The PMC's 2026-27 budget provides Rs 1 crore for the project. However, the project requires specialised electrical and mechanical technology, and the PMC does not have the technical manpower to handle its planning and execution. The civic body has therefore decided to appoint an outside consultant.

The PMC had invited tenders for the consultant in August 2026. The proposed consultancy fee is 1.27 per cent of the project cost, or a minimum of Rs 2.54 crore, whichever is higher. GST and other applicable taxes will be charged separately.

The consultant's responsibilities include preparing a detailed project report (DPR), examining the technical and financial feasibility of the project, preparing cost estimates and overseeing the tender process. The consultant will inspect the proposed project site and prepare the DPR, cost estimates and tender conditions. Identifying the government permissions the project will need is also part of the work.

The consultant will also examine whether it would be financially viable to implement the ropeway on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis or on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis. It will evaluate the technical and financial bids submitted by interested companies and oversee the process until the work order is issued.

According to the proposed plan, the ropeway will run about 750 metres from Peshwe Park to Parvati hill. The project will have five towers, 12 to 40 metres high, and 22 cabins. Each cabin can carry eight passengers. The ride is expected to take about two and a half minutes. The system is designed to carry 1,500 passengers an hour in one direction.

A final decision on actually implementing the project will be taken only after the consultant submits its report. The present approval is thus only for appointing a consultant; the final decision to build the ropeway has not yet been taken.