Shimla, Oct 1 (IANS): The central government has approved a ropeway project with an outlay of Rs 600 crore for Pangi area in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Tuesday.

The ropeway would be constructed to help avoid the Saach Pass.

He said the ropeway from Bhanodi to Pregara on the Killar side would ensure round-the-year connectivity to the snow-bound area.

Thakur said the project would be a pilot which was sent by the state government for approval last month. The 21.4-km long ropeway would be commissioned in five stages by the state-run Ropeway and Rapid Transport System Development Corp.

It would be constructed over the Saach Pass, located at an altitude of 14,500 feet, which is the gateway to the picturesque Pangi Valley. It remains closed for seven months due to heavy snowfall.

The Saach Pass is the shortest road link between Chamba town, some 450 kms from the state capital, and the Pangi Valley.