NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday approved two ropeway projects, one for reaching Kedarnath Shrine and the other for Hemkund Sahib ji, in Uttrakhand to help pilgrims reaching easily to the two holy places. The estimated combined cost of the two projects will be over Rs 6,800 crore and are expected to be completed in next 4 to 6 years.
The Union cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, also approved a proposal for the revision of the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme with an outlay of Rs 3,880 crore for two years. The first ropeway connecting Sonprayag to Kedarnath will have a total length of 12.9 kms, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
He said that the project “will be developed in Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs 4,081.28 crore”.
“The ropeway is planned to be developed in public-private partnership and will be based on the most advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology with a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction carrying 18,000 passengers per day,” Vaishnaw said, adding that this would reduce the travel time from about 8 to 9 hours to about 36 minutes.
The journey to the Kedarnath shrine is a challenging 16-km uphill trek from Gaurikund and is currently covered on foot or by ponies, palanquins and helicopter. But the proposed ropeway will prove convenient to pilgrims visiting the shrine and ensure all-weather connectivity between Sonprayag and Kedarnath, which is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas situated at an elevation of 3,583 m (11968 ft) in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. The other ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji in Uttarakhand will cover a distance of 12.4 kms and will be developed with an estimated cost of Rs 2,730.13 crore.
Currently, the pilgrimage to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat. The proposed ropeway is aimed at providing convenience to pilgrims, the shrine and tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers and will ensure all-weather last-mile connectivity and this will also be developed in a PPP mode.
He said the ropeway will be based on a Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG) from Govindghat to Ghangaria (10.55 km), seamlessly integrated with the most advanced Tricable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib Ji (1.85 km).
Hemkund Sahib Ji is a highly revered pilgrimage site situated at an elevation of 15,000 ft in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The Gurudwara established at the holy site is open between May and September and is visited by about 1.5 to 2 lakh pilgrims every year.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to the revision of the LHDCP with an aim to improve the animal health sector by implementing prophylactic vaccination programmes against various diseases of livestock and poultry, capacity building, disease surveillance and strengthening the veterinary infrastructure.