LUMBINI, June 8: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the newly-installed Lumbini cable car service today.

PM Dahal formally launched the cable car service by unveiling a copper plaque at the Bottom Station located at Golpark Bamghat in Butwal.

The cable car spans approximately three kilometers, operating from Golpark Bamghat in Butwal sub-metropolitan city-3 to Basantapur in Tinau rural municipality-3, Palpa district. It is the first cable car in Lumbini Province.

Basantapur, accessible via the Lumbini cable car, features Kamakhyadevi Temple, Bhagwati Temple, Ganesh Temple, Kailash Parbat, and other structures such as ponds and stone spouts. It has now emerged as a religious tourism destination.

An agreement has been reached among Lumbini Cable Car Company, Butwal sub-metropolis, and Tinau rural municipality for the daily operation of the cable car service. The IME Group constructed and initiated the cable car service through their investment, marking their third cable car venture.

Chairperson of Lumbini Cable Car Pvt Ltd, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, stated that the operation of the Lumbini cable car has added a new religious and tourism destination in Basantapur. He shared, "We successfully constructed and operated the Lumbini cable car due to the love, goodwill, and support of the federal government, Lumbini province government, local government, as well as the local community."

The cable car connecting Rupandehi and Palpa districts is believed to contribute to the economic and social transformation of Rupandehi, Palpa, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu districts, and Lumbini Province as a whole. Chair Dhakal mentioned that this project would be a milestone in fulfilling the desire and aspiration of political leaders and the people of Lumbini Province to establish Rupandehi as the financial capital of the province.

He also announced a new campaign for the construction of a cable car religious tourism circuit. In the first phase, an investment of Rs 1.5 billion has been made for the cable car's construction, with the total cost of the cable car project and resort amounting to Rs 5 billion.

Restaurants have already been constructed at the top station of the cable car, while a hotel, children's playground, skywalk, and zipline are currently under construction. The bottom station stands 230 meters above sea level, and the top station is situated 940 meters above sea level. The cable car consists of 25 gondolas.

One can reach the top station within a 10-minute journey from the bottom station.