Draft:Rohtang Ropeway

Submission declined on 4 December 2025 by DoubleGrazing (talk). This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that: provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements; are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight; are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content. Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia. If you would like to continue working on the submission, click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. If you have not resolved the issues listed above, your draft will be declined again and potentially deleted. If you need extra help, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. Please do not remove reviewer comments or this notice until the submission is accepted. Where to get help If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews. If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed. How to improve a draft Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia – a basic overview on how to edit Wikipedia. Help:Wikitext – how to use the markup Help:Referencing for beginners – how to include references Wikipedia:Article development – how to develop your article Wikipedia:Writing better articles – how to improve your article Wikipedia:Verifiability – make sure your article includes reliable third-party sources You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Add tags to your draft Editor resources Easy tools: Citation bot (help) | Advanced: Fix bare URLs Declined by DoubleGrazing 7 months ago. Last edited by In Transit 2 months ago. Reviewer: Inform author. Resubmit Please note that if the issues are not fixed, the draft will be declined again.

• Comment: The sources are forward-looking, saying 'permit given' and 'construction to start soon', etc. Wikipedia is not WP:CRYSTALBALL, this wouldn't be the first infrastructure project that doesn't bear fruit. If there is significant coverage of what actually exists of this project, please use that. If there isn't yet, then I'd say an article at this time is WP:TOOSOON. DoubleGrazing (talk) 07:22, 4 December 2025 (UTC)

The Rohtang Ropeway (also known as the Palchan–Rohtang Ropeway) is an under-construction aerial ropeway project in Himachal Pradesh, India. It aims to provide year-round access to Rohtang Pass and reduce vehicular traffic on the ecologically sensitive Manali–Rohtang route.

The ropeway is part of Himachal Pradesh’s sustainable transport initiative to reduce congestion and pollution near Rohtang Pass. The 7.1 km route will link Palchan to Rohtang with intermediate stations at Gulaba and Marhi. When completed, it will carry around 1,500 passengers per hour and cut the two-hour road journey to about 30 minutes.³

The ropeway will consist of four stations:

• Palchan (Base Terminal) - near the Beas River
• Gulaba Station - tourist zone and eco-market
• Marhi Station – midway rest and viewpoint
• Rohtang Pass Station – terminal at 3,978 m (13,050 ft)

The system is designed as a detachable gondola type, with cabins operating on a bi-cable line for improved stability and efficiency.⁴

The project was first proposed in the early 2010s after the National Green Tribunal restricted diesel vehicles to reduce emissions at Rohtang. It was revived under a public–private partnership model in the 2020s after delays in forest and environmental clearances.⁵

The project received Stage I and II forest clearances, involving the felling of around 550 trees and compensatory afforestation commitments. Construction is divided into three phases: Palchan-Gulaba, Gulaba-Marhi, and Marhi-Rohtang. The estimated cost has risen from ₹390 crore to ₹540 crore due to design changes and inflation.²

The ropeway is expected to reduce pollution, noise, and soot accumulation caused by thousands of tourist vehicles. Mitigation measures include:

• Sewage treatment plants and solid-waste systems at stations
• Tree plantation drives in affected areas
• Controlled tourism zones at Gulaba and Marhi⁶

While environmentalists and the state government supported the project for its sustainability benefits, villagers raised concerns over land rights, tree cutting, and local livelihood impact. Taxi and hotel associations in Manali initially opposed the project, fearing loss of business.⁶

Once operational, the Rohtang Ropeway will:

• Enable year-round access to Rohtang Pass
• Reduce tourist vehicle load on mountain roads
• Lower carbon emissions and fuel use
• Boost eco-tourism and employment opportunities in the region⁵