190 m pound ski resort may open in Himalayas in 2012

Mumbai, June 12 (ANI): The first major ski resort in the Himalayas could be open by 2012 and attract up to two million people a year, its Indian developers have said.

The 190 million pound Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) in the Dhauladhar region will cover 6,000 acres of mountainside with five miles of lifts and four hotels with 500 five-star rooms.

The team behind the project includes Alfred Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, the automobile pioneer.

Funds have been raised from private investors, most of whom work in the City of London.

According to The Telegraph, the group's ultimate aim is to host the Winter Olympics.

The resort's developers are, however,facing opposition from villagers of the Himachal valley who claim their traditional lifestyle will be hit by the influx of tourists.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is also opposed to the resort.

"We are against the proposed project as it will take away our rights on natural resources, livelihood and deteriorate the environment," the paper quoted Maheshwar Singh, a former MP from the BJP, as saying.

"It's against local culture and it hurts the sentiments of the people, the majority of whom are dependent upon natural resources for their livelihood.

The proposed project would force the locals to migrate to other areas," he added. (ANI)