Uttarakhand govt inks deal for ropeway at Yamunotri Dham

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that with the completion of this much-awaited project, Yamunotri Dham will be directly connected to its winter destination Kharsali.

“Completion of this ropeway project will not only provide convenience to the pilgrims but will also lead to the social and economic development of the area along with employment generation. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the officers and employees of all the departments associated with this project and with enthusiastic efforts it is now going to be completed,” he said.

Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said the project will connect the summer and winter Dhams of Maa Yamunotri Devi together, and open another chapter in the immense possibilities of religious tourism in Uttarakhand.

Earlier this week, the Centre gave its approval to the much-awaited project.

The Yamunotri temple, located at an altitude of approximately 3,291 meters in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, is usually the first stop-over in the Char Dham yatra. As of now the trek starts from Jankichatti. Considered dangerous, the pathway is also not safe for senior citizens as they struggle for oxygen at such a high altitude.

According to a statement issued by the tourism department, the ropeway will be of mono-cable detachable type. It will be constructed according to European standards on the lines of installations in France and Switzerland. The passenger carrying capacity of a single coach will be eight passengers, and 500 tourists can be carried on an hourly basis. The project will be executed by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board on Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode.

“The state government has always given priority to promoting tourism and as such is committed to providing better facilities to pilgrims and tourists coming from the rest of India and abroad. As part of the entire Yamunotri ropeway project, the construction of parking, residential arrangement, restaurant, etc. has also been proposed. The lower terminal will be built on 1.787 hectares in Kharsali, while the upper terminal at Yamunotri Dham will be built on 0.99 hectares,” said the statement.