Amarnath, Kamakhya, Kedarnath, Mahakaleshwar Temples to Get Ropeway Connectivity

Amarnath, Kamakhya, Kedarnath, and Mahakaleshwar temples are among the 30 projects identified for ropeway connectivity across India covering a distance of more than 120 km, News18 has learnt.

Planned under the ‘National Ropeways Development Programme’, currently one project – between Varanasi Cantt Railway Station and Godowlia Chowk – is under implementation. This 3.85-km-long ropeway will ease the journey for those traveling from railway station to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Bids for two of the projects – for Bijli Mahadev in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu and Dhosi Hill in Haryana’s Mahendragarh – have been received, as per the National Highways Logistics Management Limited, under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). On Tuesday, these two projects were awarded.

As many as seven projects, amounting to 33km, are under bidding. This includes ropeway connectivity to Mahakaleshwar in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar in Kashmir and Sangam in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Two of the longest projects under bidding are in Uttarakhand – 12.40-km ropeway between Govind Ghat and Hemkund Sahib Ji in Chamoli, followed by 9.70 km long Gaurikund to Kedarnath in Rudraprayag.

For at least 15 projects, with a collective length of 57 km, a detailed feasibility study is in progress. These include around 15-km-long ropeway connectivity between Kathgodam and Hanuman Temple in Nainital in Uttarakhand, another 1.4 km between Kankkchori to Kartik Swami Temple in Rudraprayag.

The second phase of Varanasi ropeway and another for Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan are also planned for Uttar Pradesh.

Ropeway connectivity to Kamakhya Temple in Assam, Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, Sabarmati Riverfront and Statue of Unity in Gujarat, Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh and Marina Beach in Tamil Nadu is also under planning.

At least five projects, with a collective length of 23 km, are in very initial stages. These include ropeways for Amarnath Cave from Baltal in Jammu and Kashmir and another between Nasri Tunnel and Sanasar in the union territory.

MAKE ROPEWAYS ECONOMICALLY VIABLE: GADKARI

On Tuesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the foremost priority should be to make ropeways economically viable by bringing down the overall project cost and encouraging Public-Private Partnership to develop the ropeway network in the country.

Addressing the ‘Ropeway : Symposium-Cum-Exhibition’ in New Delhi, he said apart from facilitating tourism in the hilly areas, the ropeway offers huge potential in the urban public transport as well.

“More than 200 projects at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been identified in the coming five years under National Ropeways Development Programme, ‘Parvatmala Pariyojana’,” he said in his address.

The Minister went on to say that the focus should be on developing indigenous and cost-efficient solutions without compromising safety. He added ropeways hold immense potential to positively impact tourism and job creation in the country.

To attract more private players for development of ropeways under Parvatmala Pariyojana, 60% construction support is provided under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM for Ropeways) compared to 40% support provided under National Highways.