No State Clearance Granted for Bijli Mahadev Ropeway Project, Himachal Tells NGT

The Advocate General representing the Himachal Pradesh government informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) during a hearing on the ₹284 crore Bijli Mahadev ropeway project in Kullu that the project is being implemented by National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML). He clarified that no approvals have been granted by the state authorities for the project and that the state’s role in granting environmental clearances is very limited.

Counsel for the petitioner, Ajay Marwah, informed the tribunal that an affidavit of service had not been filed and that no representatives appeared on behalf of several respondents. Consequently, the NGT allowed the petitioner to serve notices to the remaining respondents through “dasti” (personal service) and to file an affidavit accordingly. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 30.

Last month, the NGT had issued notices to multiple agencies — including the Himachal Pradesh government, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, NHLML, the Central Pollution Control Board, the State Forest Department, the State Pollution Control Board, and the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu — seeking responses to the serious environmental concerns raised in the petition.

The case stems from a petition filed by Nachiketa Sharma, a local resident, who expressed grave concern over deforestation, slope instability, and ecological degradation in the Kharal Valley and Bijli Mahadev hill areas affected by the ropeway’s construction. The Bijli Mahadev Temple Committee has also been added as a respondent in the case.

According to the petitioner, under the central government’s ‘Parvatmala’ initiative, at least 77 of the 203 deodar trees approved for felling across 3.1 hectares of forest land have allegedly been cut without proper environmental assessment. Photographic evidence submitted to the tribunal purportedly shows landslides and subsidence at the construction site following monsoon rains, highlighting the fragile Himalayan terrain.

The petition alleges that the project received approval without key scientific studies, including a carrying capacity assessment, slope stability analysis, and a cumulative environmental impact assessment (EIA), all of which were recommended by a joint committee appointed by the NGT.

It further accuses the authorities of violating the Forest Rights Act, 2006, by failing to consult affected communities or obtain a Gram Sabha resolution prior to the diversion of forest land for the project.

Local opposition to the ropeway remains strong, with residents, panchayats, and temple caretakers expressing concern over environmental damage and the religious sanctity of the meadows surrounding the sacred Bijli Mahadev Temple.

The 2.4-kilometre ropeway, designed to carry up to 36,000 passengers daily, will connect Piradi in Kullu with the Bijli Mahadev Temple, transforming the traditional steep trek into a seven-minute cable ride. Initially proposed in the mid-2010s under the Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board and awarded to Usha Breco, the project was later taken over by NHLML for implementation.