NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared two major ropeway projects to facilitate faster travel to the Kedarnath shrine and the Hemkund Sahib gurdwara, both located in Uttarakhand.
The development came even as a high-powered committee set up by the Supreme Court had flagged concerns over the impact of the ongoing Char Dham project on the ecological balance of the state.
The Cabinet approved the construction of 12.4-km ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. The project will be developed on the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs 2,730.13 crore.
Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat and is covered on foot or by ponies or in palanquins. The ropeway has been planned to provide convenience to pilgrims and drastically cut travel time.
The Cabinet also approved the construction of 12.9-km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath. Its budget is Rs 4,081.28 crore. The journey time will be cut down to 36 minutes from the current eight to nine hours.
The two projects come under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Parvatmala scheme, under which connectivity to remote locations is being provided by setting up ropeways.
Environment experts have cautioned that whether it is the Char Dham project or other modes of transportation being planned in Uttarakhand, these will only lead to the heavy influx of tourists, leading to ecologically disastrous consequences.
Under the Char Dham project, road connectivity to four pilgrimage centres of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is being strengthened.
Briefing reporters, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw sought to allay such concerns. He said the Cabinet had taken the decision keeping in mind the “complex” nature of the Kedarnath ropeway project. He said before clearing the project, surveys had been conducted covering all technical and geological aspects.
He said issues like relief and rehabilitation of local mule operators and other ancillary industries associated with the Kedarnath project had been taken into consideration while sanctioning it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stones of the two ropeway projects in October 2022 and since then the cost has escalated almost five times.