After proceeding without forest nod, Baisaran Gondola Project halted pending NIA clearance

October 27, 2025 by News Desk

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The proposed Baisaran Gondola project in Pahalgam has been halted as the executing agency awaits permission from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to resume ground surveys and technical studies, the Jammu Kashmir government informed on Monday.

Tourism Minister said the Jammu Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) had finalised tenders and signed an agreement with a consultant for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and related work.

However, the process came to a standstill following restrictions imposed after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. “The alignment for the 1.4-kilometre ropeway project has already been identified, with the lower terminal point near Yatri Niwas and the upper terminal point at Baisaran. About 9.13 hectares of forest land has been earmarked for the project, which is estimated to cost between ₹100 crore and ₹120 crore,” the minister said.

He added that the agency has requested permission to visit the site for topographical and geo-technical studies. “The matter has been taken up with the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, who has conveyed that it is under consideration with the NIA,” the minister said.

Officials confirmed that forest clearance for the project has not yet been granted. The Forest Department earlier objected to the proposal in 2024, citing environmental concerns over the felling of trees and disturbance to the area’s dense pine and deodar forest cover. Reports suggest that the project’s alignment would require the cutting of over 700 trees in Forest Compartment No. 35, prompting the department to withhold clearance until a revised environmental assessment is submitted.

The department had warned that the route passes through an ecologically fragile zone, home to several bird and animal species, and could disturb the watershed and soil stability of the upper Pahalgam belt.

The minister said that once the NIA clearance is received and forest approval granted, work on the project will begin immediately, with an expected completion period of 18 months.