Nepal, a landlocked nation characterized by its rugged mountainous terrain, faces significant challenges in maintaining reliable transportation networks, particularly during the monsoon season. The annual monsoon, typically spanning June to September, brings torrential rainfall, landslides, and flooding, which severely disrupt road connectivity across the country. Major highways, such as the Tribhuvan, Prithvi, and Araniko, frequently become impassable, isolating communities and disrupting the supply of essential goods. The Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway, a 42-km cargo transport system operational from 1964 to 1994, offers a proven solution to these challenges. Reviving this ropeway is imperative to ensure resilient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable transportation in Nepal, especially during the monsoon season.
Monsoon disruptions and highway vulnerabilities
Nepal’s highways are critical arteries for trade, tourism, and daily commuting, yet they are highly vulnerable to monsoon-related disasters. In Sept 2024, torrential rainfall—the heaviest since 1970—caused widespread flooding and landslides, blocking 37 highways and damaging 25 bridges across the country. The Bagmati River in Kathmandu rose two meters above its safe level, flooding the capital and disrupting key road networks. The Narayanghat-Mugling section of the Prithvi Highway, a vital link between Kathmandu and the Terai region, is frequently obstructed by landslides during the monsoon, delaying commerce and impacting the economy. Similarly, the Araniko Highway, connecting Nepal to China, and the Pasang Lhamu Highway have faced closures due to floods and landslides, exacerbating trade disruptions. These disruptions have significant economic and social consequences. In 2024, floods displaced thousands, destroyed infrastructure, and caused over 224 deaths, with 37 in Kathmandu alone.
Historical significance of Hetauda-Kathmandu ropeway
The Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway, originally built in 1922 by Chandra Shumsher Rana as a 22-km cargo system from Dhorsing to Kathmandu, was extended to 42 km in 1964 with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During its peak, it operated for 10 hours daily, transporting 220 tonnes of goods—equivalent to 24 truckloads—at half the cost of road transport. The ropeway proved its utility during crises, such as the 1993 floods and the 1988-89 Indian blockade, when highways were impassable. However, institutional mismanagement, underutilization, and a policy shift prioritizing roads led to its closure in 1994. Today, its rusting towers stand as a reminder of a missed opportunity to leverage Nepal’s topography for sustainable transport.
Why revive Hetauda-Kathmandu ropeway?
Reviving the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway offers multiple benefits, particularly in addressing monsoon-related transportation challenges.
- Resilience against monsoon disruptions
Unlike highways, ropeways are minimally affected by floods and landslides. Requiring only towers and stations, they occupy little ground space and avoid the need for extensive road construction in landslide-prone areas. The 1993 floods demonstrated the ropeway’s ability to maintain supply chains when highways failed. Reviving the ropeway would ensure year-round connectivity, especially during the monsoon, safeguarding the supply of essential goods to Kathmandu.
- Cost-effectiveness
Studies indicate that building ropeways is six times cheaper than constructing roads in Nepal’s hilly terrain. The Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway cost half as much as the Tribhuvan Highway to build, and its operational costs were significantly lower, with goods transported at Rs 346.80 per ton compared to Rs 480 by trucks. Additionally, gravity goods ropeways (GGRs), which use the terrain’s natural undulation, cost approximately Rs 2 million per kilometer to build and can reduce transportation costs by 70 percent, as shown by Practical Action Nepal’s projects.
- Environmental sustainability
Nepal’s road-building boom has caused significant environmental damage, including deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat loss. Unplanned road construction exacerbates landslides, as seen in the Narayanghat-Mugling section, where gully erosion and unengineered slopes have triggered disasters. Ropeways, by contrast, have a minimal environmental footprint, requiring less land alteration and preserving fragile ecosystems. With Nepal’s growing hydropower capacity, electrically operated ropeways align with the country’s clean energy goals, reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based transport.
- Economic and social benefits
The ropeway can boost rural economies by connecting remote settlements to markets. Practical Action Nepal’s gravity ropeways have doubled cash crop production within two years and saved over 100 person-days of travel time per household annually. Reviving the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway could similarly enhance trade from the Terai to Kathmandu, particularly for goods from the Birgunj dry port to the Chobhar dry port. This would reduce economic losses from highway disruptions during festivals like Dashain and Tihar, when demand for goods peaks.
- Alignment with modern infrastructure needs
The Investment Board Nepal (IBN) has been studying the revival of the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway since 2017 to transport goods from Birgunj to Chobhar. With the Chobhar inland container depot (ICD) under construction as part of the Nepal-India Regional Trade and Transport Project, the ropeway could serve as a vital link, keeping cargo vehicles out of Kathmandu and reducing urban congestion. A modernized ropeway could also integrate with Nepal’s growing tourism sector, complementing cable car projects like those in Chandragiri and Manakamana.
Challenges and solutions
Reviving the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway involves several challenges. The high initial investment, need for technical upgrades, and bureaucratic delays pose significant obstacles. The original infrastructure, unused for over two decades, is irreparable, requiring entirely new construction. To address these issues, public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be utilized, drawing on private sector expertise as demonstrated by the successful Manakamana Cable Car project. The Ninth Five-Year Plan’s emphasis on private sector involvement in ropeways provides a replicable model. Additionally, international support from organizations like the World Bank, which funds the Chobhar Inland Container Depot, or technical assistance from countries like Switzerland, renowned for ropeway expertise, can help overcome financial and technical barriers. Furthermore, conducting comprehensive geological and environmental impact assessments, as advised for ropeways in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, will ensure sustainable development and reduce risks, such as those observed during the 1999 monsoon flooding caused by a poorly planned ropeway.
Policy recommendations
To revive the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway, the government should implement several policy measures. First, transportation policy should prioritize ropeways over road-centric approaches, as the World Bank’s 1976 Nepal Country Report noted the high cost of road construction in mountainous terrain. Second, the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) should accelerate technical feasibility studies to evaluate the ropeway’s suitability for heavy cargo transport, ensuring integration with the Chobhar Inland Container Depot (ICD) project. Third, private sector participation should be encouraged through tax incentives and streamlined approval processes to support ropeway development. Fourth, Nepal’s hydropower capacity should be leveraged to power ropeways, lowering operational costs and environmental impact. Finally, public awareness campaigns should highlight the ropeway’s resilience, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits to promote its adoption.
Conclusion
The Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway, once a lifeline for Nepal’s capital, holds immense potential to address the country’s transportation challenges during the monsoon season. Its revival would ensure resilient supply chains, reduce economic losses, and minimize environmental damage compared to road-based transport. By learning from past successes, such as the ropeway’s role in the 1993 floods, and addressing modern infrastructure needs, Nepal can build a sustainable transport system that complements its rugged topography. With coordinated efforts from the government, private sector, and international partners, the revival of the Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway can pave the way for a more connected and resilient Nepal.
