Socio-economic change through Manakamana Cable Car; A case of Manakamana VDC, Gorkha

Abstract

This study has analyzed several impacts of Manakamana cable car on the livelihood strategy of the local people of Manakamana-Aambukhaireni trekking route and its vicinity after the cable car construction. Directly or indirectly, local people had adopted several tourism activities to sustain their livelihood. But, when MCC established in 1998, in this old so called trekking route tourists and pilgrims became less. Gradually, all the tourism activities of old trekking route collapsed and the place became isolated and deserted. They have been forced and compelled to return to one and only agricultural activity, which was their old livelihood strategy.

Before the construction of MCC, in Manakamana, Aambukhaireni trekking route, large numbers of local people performed the activities like agriculture, animal husbandry, wage labour, horticulture etc. but they were almost tourism oriented. After the construction of MCC, these sorts of activities have been reduced significantly. The production of major crops and business activities has been reduced after the construction of MCC. Due to the insufficient transportation network, it cannot open job opportunities and resource utilization, which the poor and ultra poor people cannot join mainstream of development in different isolated places. Similarly, there is no doubt that the road network provides a lot of assistance in the development and in improving rural livelihood in different places. To ensure continuous supply of these necessities needed for rural and urban societies, development program along with carrying people by ropeway is the best means of transport. Cable Car/Ropeway also promotes tourism business in the mountainous country like Nepal and it improves the rural livelihood.