Yamunotri temple via ropeway: If you are planning to go on a Char-Dham yatra, the first stop-over usually is the Yamunotri temple which is located at an altitude of approximately 3,291 meters in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. As of now pilgrims and priests have to make their way to this famous temple through a steep climb of 5 kms. The trek starts from Jankichatti and is very dangerous. Needless to say the pathway is not safe for senior citizens as well, as they also struggle for oxygen at such a high altitude along with navigation of this difficult trek. There have been multiple reports of accidents and casualties on the way, but the good news is, all that is about to change.
Read More: Big Blow to Rapido, Ola, Uber! Delhi Govt Bans Bike Taxi Services in National Capital
To make the life of pilgrims easier, the Centre has given its approval to the much-awaited Yamunotri ropeway project. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has finally given clearance to the ropeway after a long delay.
Yamunotri Ropeway Project: Distance, travel time & estimated cost
The ropeway is going to be 3.7 km long and will be stretched from Kharsali to Yamunotri, according to a PTI report. Teh ropeway is said to cut the travel time from five hours to just 10-15 minutes. How savy is that! The project is said to be built with an estimated cost of Rs 1200 crore.
Read More: Char Dham Yatra 2023: You Will Soon Be Able To Book Heliservices Via IRCTC | Details Here
The foundation stone of the ropeway project was laid back in 2011 by the then BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who was the chief minister but due to some existing bottlenecks the project couldn’t take off. The challenges involved acquisition of forest land for the project. The PTI report suggested that the Ministry Environment and Forest has now transferred 3.8 hectares of land to the tourism department for successful implementation of the project.
Ropeways are now getting a lot of traction as a significant solution for transportation requirements, and the establishment of this ropeway is not only going to boost spiritual tourism in the area but is definitely going to make the Char-Dham Yatra more fun and safe. The Modi government has already taken up a lot of infrastructure projects in Uttarakhand to boost and improve the connectivity of the state.