The ropeway project in Girnar wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat which has been in limbo since September 1995 has finally been given in-principle clearance from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). However, the environment minister Jairam Ramesh, in a statement on Monday, said that six specific conditions will have to be adhered to.

The ropeway, from Bhavnath Taleti to the Ambaji Temple in Junagarh district of Gujarat, had been rejected by a technical group of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) because it could lead to the local extinction of the ‘Girnari Giddh’ (vulture). The Giddh is a critically endangered species.

Justifying the clearance, despite numerous representations on environmental grounds, Ramesh said that that the ropeway would minimise man-animal conflict in the sanctuary and provide a convenient way of transporting thousands of pilgrims daily to the holy spots on Mount Girnar. "It would also put an end to socially unacceptable mode of transporting people by the ‘dolis’ carried by labourers that is being used presently," the statement added.

The clearance requires the Gujarat government to submit within two months a study on alternate alignment of the ropeway project, preferably along the Dattar/Bhesan side to ensure it does not cut across the prime vulture habitat and minimises disturbance to the nesting, roosting and ranging sites of the long-willed vultures and other wildlife species.

Other conditions include increasing the height of the 9th and 10th tower of the proposed ropeway to avoid disturbances to the vulture nesting sites, a high-resolution camera mounted on the 9th tower to monitor vultures' movement and regulate the cabin movement to avoid any accidental collision with vultures and a cafetaria for vultures to provide supplemental feed to the vultures, apart from diverting their movement away from the ropeway.

Ramesh has also sought imposition of a cess of Rs 5 per ticket or 2 per cent of the ticket turnover revenue, whichever is higher, that will be used by the Girl Lion Conservation Society for conservation in and around the sanctuary with a focus on long-billed vultures.

Also, a technical monitoring group of officers from the Gujarat forest department, local voluntary organisations, BNHL, WWF and experts will be set up to advise on safety protocol and monitor implementation of the conditions governing the clearance to the ropeway project.