Lucknow: Lucknow is all set to get its own “Eye”. Based on the concept of the London Eye, the Akhilesh government has decided to set up a similar iconic landmark for the state capital.
The Lucknow Eye will be a 45 metre high giant wheel that will be installed in the newly constructed Janeshwar Misra Park.
Dutch Wheels, a Netherlands based agency, has been roped in for the project and is expected to start on site installation by the beginning of next year and will be ready within two to three months.
The 102 crore project will give the visitors a bird’s eye view of the city of Nawabs.
Giving details about the project, a senior official said that the 45-metre high ferries wheel would be installed on a 10 metre high platform.
It will have 36 air conditioned cabins with a varying seating capacity of eight persons to 20 people at a time. The entire wheel can seat 288 persons for one ride.
“We have asked to some bigger capsules so that people can have a small party in the air too but the logistics of this have yet to be worked out. The tickets for the bigger capsules will obviously be higher than the smaller ones,” the official said.
The wheel will move very slowly at 3 to 4 metres per second, allowing the people to enjoy the scenery around.
This is one of UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s dream projects, and he had mooted the idea about two years ago when he assumed office.
Earlier, the project was scheduled to come up on the banks of the Gomti river near the Lucknow University, but has now been moved to the Janeshwar Misra Park that sprawls over 376 acres of land.
“The Janeshwar Misra Park is a better location since it offers bigger parking space and has several others attractions like boating on the lake and the walkways where the people can spend time before and after the ride on the Lucknow Eye,” the official added.
The chief minister, according to sources, is determined to ensure that the Lucknow Eye becomes operational in 2015 so that it can be used to boost tourism in the state.
“It will be a major attraction for domestic tourists from across the country and Lucknow will now be known for the Lucknow Eye instead of just the Imambaras.
“The Lucknow Eye will give Lucknow a new identity altogether,” said UP tourism minister Om Prakash Singh.
