Dharamsala, Jan 19 (IANS): Now a ropeway has linked this Himachal Pradesh town with its suburb McLeodganj, the abode of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday inaugurated the 1.8-km long ropeway constructed with an outlay of Rs 207 crore.

The Chief Minister said the construction of the ropeway was started in 2018 and has been developed under Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DFBOT) mode as under public-private partnership by Dharamsala Ropeway Ltd and Himachal Pradesh Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.

Thakur said the ropeway would go a long way in solving the traffic problem of McLeodganj and also prove as an added tourist attraction.

The ropeway would carry 1,000 people per hour in one direction and the total time taken by a trolley to reach McLeodganj from Dharamsala is 5 minutes.

It has 10 towers and two stations. Mono-cable detachable gondola technology has been used in the project.

McLeodganj is a quaint town about 500 km from Delhi. It is home to thousands of Tibetans who found a second abode to preserve their unique faith, culture and identity.

Members of the hospitality industry say there will be a rise in the footfall of tourists, resulting in a spike in earnings, with the ropeway. Even local Tibetan shopkeepers are feeling happy.