By Birat Anupam, Dharan, Mar. 8: Commercial operation of a zip flyer adventure began in State 1 from Saturday. Chief Minister of State 1 SherdhanRai officially inaugurated the 650-meter-longpioneer zip flyer project. The zip flyer starting from the takeoff station at welcome gate of Bhedetar runs up to the landing station of Debhithan in Dharan-4.

Deputy Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City Manju Bhandari made the 45-seconds-long maiden ride from Bhedetar to Debhithan.

Speaking at the brief inaugural program, CM Rai and deputy mayor Bhandari both extended their best wishes and pledged all possible support to this new tourism product of the state.

According to the Worldwide Nepal Group Private Limited, which owns the project operated on the southern slope of Bhedetar, the project was conceptualized some two years ago and built within four months starting from

December 2019. ''We hired expert technicians from Austria and procured high quality equipment from USA to operate this service'', said Bibas Bhandari, the proprietor of the zip flyer. Bhandari is also one of the owners of the 1100-meter-long Dhulikhel Zip Flyer in Kabhrepalanchowk district.

According to Bhandari, the maximum depth from the zip flyer line is 300 meter and the height difference between takeoff and landing station is 43 meters. The height of the takeoff station is 1420 meters from the sea level.

Furthermore, the 16 mm diameter zip line cable has load capacity of 11 thousands and three hundred kilogram, harness has 22 hundreds kilogram capacity and the capacity of carabineer is 2700 kilograms, said another co-owner Kedar Thapa.

Tourism entrepreneur Krishna Shah said the first zip flyer in the confluence of Dharan and Bhedetar is a great initiation for increasing touristic activities in the area. ''Dharan is touristic city and Bhedetar is part of State Government-declared Tourism Rural Municiaplity of Sangurigadhi of Dhankuta'', Shah said, ''This new activity has added charm to already popular travelling locations in the vicinity.'' Shah said Indian tourists from neighboring Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal are likely to be attracted to this new adventure, along with the domestic tourists.

''Dharan and Bhedetar are within few hours of vehicular ride from bordering areas of Bihar and West Bengal and this project can entice them,'' claimed Shah.

According to the operators, the exciting areal adventure is offered in three different categories namely classic, tandem and superman. For Nepali nationals, classic, superman and tandem are charged at Rs. 1200, Rs. 1500 and Rs. 2000 respectively. For the same categories, SAARC nationals are charged 15 dollars, 16 dollars and 20 dollar. However, for people from rest of the world, the charge is 18, 20 and 22 dollars respectively. The launching discount of 20 per cent is applicable for all the visitors.

The Rs. 30 million-budgeted private tourism venture is technically run by Amir Karki-led three member technical team. Before its first commercial operation of the zip flyer in Dharan, the city already had tasted the first transient 150-meter-long zip flyer at BP park area of Dharan-20 on 28 December 2018. However, the transient operation didn't materialize into commercial operation.