Ballari: The Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA) which was strongly criticised by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for introducing green-coloured NEKRTC buses in the name of eco-friendly buses to ferry tourists around the UNESCO world heritage site, has finally decided to procure battery-operated vehicles to ferry tourists from Gejjala Mantap to Vijay Vittal Mandir Complex.
Besides, HWHAMA has decided to repair the old battery operated vehicles and procure necessary parts and accessories. HWHAMA commissioner Pavankumar Malapati said that tenders for acquiring ten 14-seater battery vehicles have already been issued and steps are being taken to repair 15 old battery cars.
Owing to repair work, lack of battery recharging facility and maintenance, as many as 25 battery cars have been lying idle in the garage and women drivers operating the cars have ended up jobless in the past four months after the Hampi Authority introduced diesel-run NEKRTC buses in violation of UNESCO norms. “All the 25 battery operated vehicles are likely to start operating in the next two months,” said Mr Malapati.
The UNESCO officials had instructed the Authority to ban movement of private vehicles in the erstwhile capital city of the Vijayanagar empire. In 2010, the Hampi Authority introduced a project under which battery-operated vehicles would ferry tourists around the world heritage site. The Authority introduced the eco-friendly vehicles to ferry tourists in Hampi. It procured 25 battery-operated vehicles, including a 11-seater, 16-seater and a 14-seater, at a cost of Rs 1.71 crore.
It spent a further Rs 20 lakh on repairs. But the project was derailed due to lack of maintenance. Five years down the line, the vehicles have developed snags and have gone off the road, causing a loss of Rs 1.91 crore to the state exchequer. In fact, the Authority used to charge Rs 20 a tourist to ferry him/her to Vijay Vittal Mandir Complex and earned crores of rupees from tickets. But it didn't bother to spend a chunk of the revenue for repairing the vehicles.
At present, all 25 vehicles, which used to ferry tourists from Gejjala Mantap to Vijay Vittal Mandir Complex, are languishing in the garage. Private vehicles have begun plying in prohibited zones thereby defeating the very purpose of launching the eco-friendly vehicles.
