GODHRA, March 31: A Rs 1 crore project has been initiated to develop the Pavagadh hill in Halol taluka of Panchmahals district on the lines of the famous shrine of Vaishnav Devi.To be executed in two phases, the project is being undertaken jointly by the State Government, Public Works Department, District Panchayat as well as the Irrigation and Forest departments. District Collector A K Rakesh told Express Newsline, ``As part of Phase I of the project, we will first repair the steps starting from the foothill extending up to the top. Simultaneously, lights will be installed along the pathway and we will also provide drinking water facilities at regular intervals. Besides this, toilets will be constructed at every 300-400 metres''.A rope bridge ``similar to the Lakshman Jhoola at Rishikesh'' will also be constructed over a small valley near the tourism corporation's Hotel Toran, he added. ``We'll be developing the valley into a park where the visitors can relax in the course of their journey atop the hill,'' Rakesh said. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be be duly executed in the coming financial year. The project will also entail construction of a permanent stage and seating arrangement as well as fencing of the entire area near the Bus depot at the foothill for the annual Pavagadh Mahotsav.The second phase will aim at mitigating the problem of drinking water on the hill by construction of check dams, said Rakesh.While stating that an estimated Rs 1 crore would go into the implementation of Phase I, Rakesh said the two members of Parliament from the district, Gopalsinh Solanki (Rajya Sabha) and Shantilal Patel (Lok Sabha) had promised to contribute Rs 30 lakhs each from their respective MP quotas.``The remaining amount will to be accumulated by way of popular contribution, that coming from the local industries and funds gathered by cultural activities akin to those organised during the Mahotsav,'' he added.
