Dehradun: New Delhi/Dehradun: The Central Government on Wednesday approved two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand. These include Sonprayag to Kedarnath (12.9 km) and Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib (12.4 km) ropeway projects, which will cost a total of Rs 6,811 crore. The time limit for construction of these two ambitious projects has been fixed at four to six years. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav gave information about the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
18,000 passengers will be able to travel daily through the ropeway
The 12.9 km long ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath will be constructed on the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) format, with a total 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, under which 1,800 passengers will be able to travel on each side per hour. 18,000 passengers will be able to travel daily through the ropeway. Vaishnav said that the 12.4 km long ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib will also be developed on DBFOT format, the total cost of which will be Rs 2,730.13 crore. At present, the journey to Hemkund Sahib is a challenging climb of 21 km from Govindghat.
The proposed ropeway aims to provide convenience to the devotees coming here
The proposed ropeway is planned to provide convenience to the pilgrims visiting Hemkund Sahib and tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers, and it will ensure all-weather connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib. The journey to the Kedarnath temple is a challenging climb of 16 km from Gaurikund and is currently accomplished on foot or by palanquins or helicopters. The proposed ropeway aims to facilitate pilgrims visiting the temple and ensure all-weather connectivity between Sonprayag and Kedarnath.
