The much-awaited renovated ropeway facility at Odisha's Nandankanan Zoological Park was thrown open to the public on Saturday.

The project has come up at a cost of Rs 13 crore. It had been lying defunct since 2013.

The ropeway connects the zoo with the botanical garden covering a distance of 626 metres. It passes over the Kanjia lake. The ropeway constructed with a mono-cable connects two towers, one on the zoo campus and the other at the botanical ground. The operation of the ropeway facility was permitted after the National Disaster Rapid Action Force (NDRF) gave its clearance.

Zoo director Manoj V. Nair said: “Environment and forest minister Pradeep Kumar Amat inaugurated the ropeway facilities on Friday. But today morning, it was thrown open to the public. The response was good. All the safety measures are being taken to provide a hassle-free service to the visitors.”

In the ropeway, each person would be charged Rs 120. Each cabin would accommodate six persons. Officials said 72 visitors can enjoy the ride at a time. The ropeway runs on electricity with a generator backup system.

Sharing the joy of a ropeway ride, a tourist, Ramakanta Behera, 54, from Mayurbhanj said: “It's a superb experience. It gives a scenic picture of the Bhubaneswar city as well as the nearby Chudanga forest.”