The agreement signed on establishing the first cable car operation in Sri Lanka will be a unique experience that brings much-needed novel facts as the destination for international travellers, while it also opens a new page of adventure tourism in Sri Lanka, the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) said.
Issuing a statement, the BOI said an agreement worth U$ 4.5 Million was signed with Amber Adventure and Ambuluwawa Bio Diversity Center to establish the first cable car operation in Sri Lanka.
The BOI further said that the cable car will be constructed with technical and product expertise from China Machine-Building International Corporation.
“Adventure-seeking local and foreign visitors will get scenic beauty and high elevation adrenalin rush 3500 feet above sea level cable car rides. The technology, operation, and maintenance will create a new breed of technician in the country and it will add new knowledge of technical know-how to our technically savvy technocrat men,” the BOI statement said.
The BOI further said the total length of the cable car rides is 1.5 kilometres, three stations will provide the exit and entry facilities and the cable car pathway is designed through the biodiversity centre forest range.
The Location of this cable project is Ambuluwawa, a biodiversity complex and Sri Lanka’s first multi-religious sanctuary situated in the central highlands of the country. The Ambuluwawa Trigonometrical Station in Gampola consists of a large winding tower resembling a stylized Buddhist stupa, a Hindu Kovil, a Muslim mosque, and a Christian Church. The area contains 470 acres in extent.
The ecosystem of the location has rich biodiversity and provides sanctuary for 29 endemic species found in Ambuluwawa Mountain. The total number is 126 species, 11 mammalian species, including 01 endemic, 59 avian species including 07 endemic species, 30 reptilian species including 13 endemic species, 13 amphibian species including 06 endemic species, and 13 butterfly species including 02 endemic species, BOI said.
The BOI went on to note that the new cable car experience will allow 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, forests, rivers, and towns. It is an area richly diverse, with evergreen forests, flora and fauna forest canopy as well creepers, and about 200 different kinds of plants from 80 plant families including a variety of medicinal plants.
Ambuluwawa is surrounded by many mountains including Piduruthalagala from the East, Bible Rock (Bathalegala) from the West, Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) from the South, and Knuckles Mountain Range from the North. Apart from these mountains many other mountains are also clearly visible from here and add to the beauty of the area. These are the Hanthana Mountain Range, Hunnasigiri Mountain, and mountain ranges associated with Algalla and Kadugannawa. There is a cool mountain breeze in the area due to this reason. The Ambuluwawa Hill and the adjacent forest are designated as a forest reservation which is named the Ambuluwawa Forest Reservation.
On the Technical Collaboration, the BOI said that technical and product expertise will be provided by China Machine-Building International Corporation, a Fortune 500 company established in 1980. It is one of the important industrial and trade enterprises under the China National Machinery Industry Corporation.
Since its establishment more than 40 years ago, the company has always adhered to the purpose of “integrating industry and trade, integrating technology and trade, promoting international economic and technical cooperation in the electromechanical industry.
The company will provide total integrated solutions for cable cars which include, 8 and 6 seats, Closed, weatherproof, panoramic, window opening style, Automatic door opening, and closing function facilities. Further, it has a large volume of transportation capacity, about 400 people per hour. The cabins stop at all three stations, which is convenient for tourists and easy to get in and off. The sections will be built in such a way that no pillars, has easy operation, and maintenance. All the station houses will be designed in coordination with the surrounding environment, In the overall arrangement, station buildings will be compatible with the surrounding architectural style, and become featurette buildings, not only not to impair scenery, but also to beautify architectural colours.
The BOI added that the first cable car experience in Sri Lanka is not only an adventure covering the multiple offerings at Ambulwawa, but will also provide a diverse eco, spiritual, and cultural experience to the local and foreign travellers. (NewsWire)
